Reflection of a cracked Mask
by speedy24
Summary: Naruto neglected and treated by everyone like trash. he's suffocating but he gains the opportunity to steal back what he wants.. Are you tire of the burden of life? want freedom? a mixture of elements of both persona 4&5
1. Chapter 1

" **Thou art I** _ **"**_ Persona speech

" _ **Thou art I**_ " persona thought

[Suiton: suiryudan] jutsu release

"Persona!" normal speak

" _What?_ " thought/mind speak

" **Maragi** **!"** demon/Shadow

Chapter 1: Who is my true self?

What do you think is your true self? Is it the you every day? Or the you only other people know? Or is it the you that only that you know? The one that's beneath all the acts and masks you have or ever done. These were the thoughts not many would have in their minds, but these questions are what this one asks the most.

No one knows this better than Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze and this is how his story begins..

"who am I really"

Why am I hearing the ocean?

I remember falling asleep in my bed so maybe it's a dream.

I blearily open my eyes and look around. I was on a boat, that much I could tell from the rocking and the sound of the sea. All around the boat was a really thick fog that I couldn't see through. I looked at the boat to see it looked like one that an extremely wealthy person would own. I look up to see a night sky with more stars than I have ever seen with a full moon in the center. I could make out the constellations of stars that lay before me up above, Corvus, Lyra, and even Cepheus.

I look in front of me to see a short man in a suit with a long nose sitting in a chair. A girl that looked around 15 was standing next to him wearing a dark blue short dress with chin length pale blond hair, a bang covering one of her golden eyes. The man opened his eyes and looked at me.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room"

Velvet Room? What is that? Am I still dreaming?

The man must have seen my panic and held up a hand.

"Do not be alarmed. You are still in your bed, sleeping. We are speaking through your dreams. Now, what is your name?"

It took a moment to register what he asks of me before I answered.

"Naruto Nam- "

I was going to say Namikaze but I decided not to. The old man was waiting for me to finished

"…Uzumaki. Naruto Uzumaki"

The man grinned "What a marvelous name. My name is Igor. I am here to help you on your coming quest"

"Quest? What do you mean?" I asked, curious of what he means.

"Where you are…. a great threat will appear, a threat that no one else will see but a select few. You will be the one who guides them to resolving this threat. It will be… intriguing to watch" Igor explained.

"What is the threat?" I questioned.

"It is a threat that has come multiple times. There were those that rose and stopped them, yet the world is unaware. Now, it is your turn. But do not worry, you will meet others with the power to stop it"

Igor then gestured to the girl "I seem to have forgotten to introduce my assistant, Mary"

Mary nodded slightly "Pleasure to make your acquaintance" he nodded at her before returning his gaze back to Igor

"Tell me young Naruto, do you believe in fortune-telling?" Igor asked as the two finished their friendly handshake and laced his fingers back together.

"I guess…"

"It just so happens to be a specialty of mine," Igor told the boy before he placed his hand in the middle of the glass table. The strange man then swung his arm out and there were several cards all face down before Naruto. "All my fortune-telling is done using the same cards. And yet, the results are always different," Igor explained. "Life works very much the same way, no? Now then, pick out one of these cards to reveal," he asked of his guest.

Naruto thoughtfully eyed the cards in front of him. With a hesitant hand, he flipped over one of the cards to reveal a stylized picture of a tower being destroyed.

"Ah, the Tower Arcana, this card represents the immediate future and foretells of a great catastrophe," the fortuneteller explained. "Now, please select another card."

Like last time, Naruto was a bit hesitant but flipped over another card. This card was a golden moon with an emerald green background.

"Hmmm… The Moon, this card is crossroads, and mystery," Igor said sounding very intrigued by the cards Naruto has chosen. "I see, in the near future you will encounter a disaster that will impose our mystery upon you, and the choices you make in trying to solve this mystery will greatly affect the lives of those around you. Very interesting." Igor closed his eyes to ponder for a moment what all of this could mean. Naruto was left feeling confused. "Well, there is only one more question we need answered as of tonight, Naruto, please choose another card," Igor asked once again of the young man.

Naruto's eyes turned back to the cards in front of him and thought for a moment which cards he should choose, but before he knew it his hand was already on one of said cards, he turned it over and revealed a picture of a strange and confused looking man with a small dog behind him, and bag over his shoulder.

"Interesting… So that is the form your power has taken…" Igor said it gently rubbing his chin.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Naruto asked curiosly.

"Your power, which currently lies dormant within you, has chosen to follow the path of the fool, to draw power from the number zero," Igor explained.

"What does that mean?"

" It means that your power is like the number zero, empty, and yet holds infinite possibilities," Igor further explained to the confused looking young Naruto.

The world around him started to fade.

"It would seem that you are waking up. We will meet again once you have unlocked your power. Until next time Naruto Uzumaki"

Igor nodded and everything disappeared.

At that moment Naruto woke up in his own bed. The sunlight shine through his blinds, he opens his curtains to see the sun shining upon the hokage monument. He looked upon the faces carved into the monument until he stopped at the fourth. It was a face similar to his own, it was the face of the fourth hokage Minato Namikaze, his father.

Naruto sighs, it was another day, an another day of his family ignoring his existence. Not that he cared anymore.

He stopped trying two years ago.

 **Alright that's the start of my new story! Sorry if you guys wanted more of Aquaos but I wanted to get this one up and running. To be honest this one was stuck in my head, so well here it is. From what your all expecting Naruto is the fool in the beginning of his journey.**

 **so here is where I'm placing his social links. You can either vote for a naruto character or maybe make a oc. Your decision, just letting you know if you choose to make a oc. I'm only taking 3 ocs.**

 **Naruto Uzumaki**

 **Magician - ?**

 **Priestess - ?**

 **Empress - ?**

 **Emperor - ?**

 **Hierophant - ?**

 **Lover - ? ?**

 **Chariot - ?**

 **Justice - ?**

 **Hermit - ?**

 **Fortune - ?**

 **Strength - ?**

 **Hangman - ?**

 **Death - ?**

 **Temperance - ?**

 **Devil - ?**

 **Tower - ?**

 **Star - ?**

 **Moon - ?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey my readers! Happy New Years! to all of you.**

 **I'm sorry that this isn't a new chapter but one is coming soon by Friday. I've been thinking of running a poll of who should be the first person to join Naruto's crew.**

 **The poll will be up after this is posted so go ahead and vote for who you want.**

 **Also anyone who want to help with the idea's of persona's for them can PM me.**

 **This is Speedy24 signing off**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! Sorry that I'm late with this update. I had to wait until today since my sister kind of made my laptop crashed…. for the second time. So, I had to wait for it to get fix up!**

 **So yeah, I'm checking the poll so far and all I gotta say is…**

 _ **Y'all really like Yakumo, don'tcha?**_

 **Yakumo: 15 vote**

 **Sasuke: 5 vote**

 **Ino: 2 vote**

 **Kiba: 2 vote**

 **Sai: 1 vote**

 **Lee: 1 vote**

 **TenTen: 1 vote**

 **Anko: 1 vote**

 **She winning by a landside right now but hey its not set in stone just yet. So please keep reading, keep reviewing, and keep on voting.**

 **Disclaimers: I don't own Naruto or persona. They are both own by their rightful creators.**

" **Thou art I** _ **"**_ Persona speech

" _ **Thou art I**_ " persona thought

[Suiton: suiryudan] jutsu release

"Persona!" normal speak

" _What?_ " thought/mind speak

" **Maragi** **!"** demon/Shadow

Chapter 2: A talk

A few days after that strange dream.

Naruto continue his daily routines before leaving his house.

Twelve years. Twelve years since his parent have stop caring about him. No matter how many times Naruto asked them, they always blow him away, and anytime they even do its because of the trouble or problems he was framed for.

What they do is telling him to stop bothering them and because of that his sisters started to bully him!

Whenever they saw him, they would always make fun of him and sometimes beat him up. Not only that but they would also get him into trouble, like breaking stuff, painting the Hokage Monument, stealing from people, etc.

Naruto would always get in trouble for all the things he didn't do.

In fact, whenever he tried to explain himself to tell everyone that it wasn't him, his parents would always yell at him and tell him to go to his room.

Even when he tries to plead with them to listen all they do is smack him across the face or just down right beat him and his sisters were always there laughing at him. It got worse than that as nearly everyone in the village believe his sisters over him and began to call him the 'Failure' or the 'Disgrace to the Namikaze'.

At that point he gave up.

He gave up on caring on his parents and changing everyone's views on him. He just went along with it.

It didn't even help once his 'father' told the whole village that he was the host for the kyuubi. That just added to his problems from the village, but besides that tomorrow was the day that his two sisters would go to attend the academy to within three years of attending said academy they would receive their final exam becoming a Genin at 15 years of age.

Naruto would never be able to attend the academy in the first place by the way.

Why?

The villagers knowing that Naruto wanted to become a ninja went on to make a petition of denying Naruto entry into the ninja program gathering enough signatures were signed at a fast rate needing at least 10,000 and it went to council being the Elders who were advisors to the Kage. The council upon vote approved it and Minato being the Hokage of the village had no choice but to sign due to the supreme number of votes against him forcing the petition to go through.

So, with a heavy heart Minato did what he didn't want to do it but he had no choice but to sign as he imagined Yuno and Kitami in Naruto's place if everyone knew the truth of who the carrier of the Nine Tails was.

Ever since Naruto has been banned from entering the ninja program thus denying him the chance to become a shinobi of konohagakure.

As much as he hated it, he had no choice thanks to this village he calls home chaining him down and stopping him ever since his birth.

Naruto shook his head before continuing his way to his usual meetup point.

Navigating through the hateful crowd as they glared at him. Naruto ignoring them before he found himself outside the gates of the village in the lush forest that surrounds it. Breathing in the fresh air Naruto keep on walking until he came upon an abandoned area training ground.

"I see you are early Naruto-kun" came a familiar voice from behind him. He shifted his head behind to see the one that'd the voice came from.

Naruto took in his appearance. On the tree branch was a youngman at a height of 5'8 with black hair done with a small ponytail in the back. He wore a black shirt with a high collar and grey pants. He had a pouch attached to his hip, and a forehead protector. He stared back with onyx eyes filled with amusement and curiosity.

"of course, I did. Who else would have a heart or want to train me?" he replied with a small smile while Itachi landed from the tree.

Itachi returned the smile. "come. let's see how far your coming along. Show me an henge, substitution and the clone jutsu." He ordered, Naruto pulling an excellent henge by transforming into Itachi himself and substitute with a nearby squirrel and then back. The only thing he had a problem with was the clone jutsu.

' _hmm? It must be because he's an uzumaki. He doesn't have the chakra control for an simple clone jutsu… 'Itachi_ thought as he sees Naruto's reaction to the dead like clone in front of him.

"this always happens when I try to create a clone. No matter how much I practice my chakra control the result is always the same." Naruto looked dejected at his hard work.

Itachi offered a smile to Naruto, "Naruto-kun don't worry. If the regular clone jutsu won't work, then how about another one then."

Naruto looked hopeful and curious." Another one? You mean one of the elemental clone jutsus?" he asked only to receive a shake of the head.

"maybe its better if I show you." He said taking a few steps away from him. He made a hand seal, and a dozen Itachi's poofed into existence. Naruto was impressed.

"SUGOI! That is so cool!" exclaimed Naruto, Itachi laughed at the boy's reaction.

"I am going to teach you a jutsu that I think can help you tremendously. It is called Kage Bunshin no Jutsu" he said as he dispelled the other Itachi's, seeing he has the boy's attention.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu is a jounin level kinjutsu, which I would normally not teach anybody, but I think I can make a special exception for you, since I think this jutsu would be perfect for you." He told the boy. "for this I'm going to need your complete attention." He stated

Itachi spent an hour teaching Naruto about the jutsu, the basics of molding chakra for the jutsu, and the proper way to form the seal needed for it. Not surprisingly, Naruto could do the Jutsu when Itachi was ready to leave.

"Remember Naruto, this is not an easy jutsu to learn, and that the fact that your able to learn it in only a few hours shows how much potential you have. It only brings me pride for me to teach you because I know you won't quit. Work hard at it, and you will get it eventually." He told the young uzumaki, who smiled back at him.

"Don't worry Itachi! I promise you I won't let you down!" The uchiha couldn't help but feel pride of Naruto's will and then anger at the village for trying to destroy such potential.

"Once you have figured it out, come see me again. There is one more thing I can help you with." He finally responded after getting the villagers out of his head, getting a nod out of Naruto.

as Itachi leaves Naruto to his own devices to pickup his little brother. Seeing his sensei leave Naruto continue to practice this new jutsu he just learned to see his limits with it. He was only able to make ten clones, he's planning not to leave until he's able to make twenty.

{later}

Walking through the front door, Naruto sighed. He had seen Kushina's shoes, so he had to be polite, lest he be bugged even more. He wondered if she knew he was out or not? "I'm back!" He called.

Kushina's voice rang out of the kitchen, and Naruto, despite knowing what to expect of his parents left, felt like he had been punched in the gut. "You were out? Anyways, lunch will be ready in a minute, could you get your sisters?"

Naruto stood there, sighing once again went to do just that. What's the point of caring about them? They obviously didn't care about him, so he wouldn't force his presence on those who obviously didn't need it. He just ignores them just like they do to him. "I'm not hungry." He called back, before heading up to his room, a short stop to inform Yuno and Kitami of the meal waiting downstairs, ignoring their taunts and behavior towards him.

After that Naruto entered his room and landed in his bed face first.

He turned around until he could see the ceiling of his room. thinking back to his life before eyes caught the cover of a familiar book. He got up and picked it up.

 _The Trickster Fox God_ , this book was given to him by Jiraiya along with a copy of his first book _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi._

Naruto sighed before laying in his bed closing his eyes, thinking on how he wished his life he could be like the protagonist of the book.

Flash forward two months

Naruto could only sigh, he's been doing that a lot lately, at his parents; they still didn't train him so he focused on training himself or with Itachi in basic combat such as in the field of Taijitu. He didn't know any jutsu besides two of the academy jutsus and the Kage Bunshin yet because Minato and Kushina forbid it saying that he wasn't ready as well as saying that he still wasn't ready to become a ninja and he of course knew they were lying.

He now wore his short sleeved high collared shirt like an Uchiha of the Uchiha clan would wear and on the back of the shirt were what looked to be a fox mask with the parting V revealing some of his chest. He also wore black pants and black ninja sandals. Naruto was sitting atop one of the water towers that were atop one of the many buildings within the village watching the approaching night. He reached inside his shirt brining out his blue star necklace, a gift from Itachi. He looked upon the blue stone like he always did for the past month

Naruto deciding wanting to no longer stay here leaps over the edge of the top of the water tower landing upon the roof of the building the small water tower was upon to jumping over the edge of the building landing on the ground on his feet.

He then began using the alleys of fences walking through them to avoid a confrontation from the villagers and it's not like he was afraid or anything because if he was attacked he would defend himself fighting back giving his attackers some broken bones and bruises to remember him by. He just right now wasn't in the mood to fight any moody villager crying over their lost ones from the attack of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox…

Naruto, minutes later, continued to use the alleys he came to a stop as he saw two people up ahead of him and he knew who they were from a mile away. They were Sasuke Uchiha and Kiba both twelve years of age like him with Kiba looking at him with a smile and Sasuke wearing a bored expression.

In fact, it looked like Sasuke didn't even want to be here. Sasuke wore a short sleeved high collard blue shirt having the crest of his clan on his back and black pants as well as wearing blue ninja sandals and fingerless black gloves; behind his waist he had a sheathed grass cutter sword. Kiba was dressed the same way he was in Shippuden and with his large canine companion Akamaru by his side.

"What do you two want?" Naruto asked not pleased seeing the two especially Kiba.

"We're bored so we came to have fun and fun is kicking your ass!" Kiba said with a smirk pounding his left fist into his right hands palm.

"What's your story?" Naruto asked Sasuke.

"I'm not interested." The Uchiha said.

"Let me guess is your brother?"

Sasuke in anger then threw six shuriken toward Naruto as the six shuriken flying toward his face but he ducked his head fast enough to avoid them. Sasuke really had no intention of attacking Naruto in the first place but Naruto just made him remember his brother Itachi, who's never had time for him, or teaching him.

"I think you missed."

" _What the hell was that? He dodged them so easily?_ " Sasuke wondered.

"Don't let him get you, Sasuke. He can't fight back against us; after all we are the future heads of our clans and attacking us will earn him a night behind bars. Lose, lose situation for him but a win, and win for us." Kiba said with a smirk.

"You think I'm not going to fight back? You sound so confident of yourself, Mutt." He said with a roll of his eyes.

"What did you call me?" Kiba yelled.

"sigh it seems your hard of hearing. I said…" Naruto then clapped his hands together "Come on Mutt" motioned with his hands forward toward himself.

"That's it! YOU'RE DEAD!" Kiba yelled.

Kiba dashes past Sasuke who just remains standing where he is decided to watch with a critical eye activating his Sharingan eyes. Kiba leaped into the air drawing a kunai and descending toward the grinning Naruto while Naruto in the meantime took the opportunity and leaped up atop the fence, and leaps up toward Kiba front flipping brining his left foot down upon the back of Kiba's head.

"stay down!" Naruto yelled aloud at the same time of his strike.

Kiba then collides with the ground going into a tumble along the dirt with Naruto landing on his feet as Kiba flips back up to his feet with his kunai still in hand gritting his teeth glaring at Naruto to wiping blood that leaked from the side of his mouth.

" Are you done?" Naruto asked with bored eyes, holding his arms apart.

"You're going to regret doing that!"

"what's the point? I'm gonna get in trouble either way. So, since I am why don't you help me train mutt?"

Kiba attacks again dashing toward Naruto with increased speed and when reaching striking distance, he swiped his sharpened left hands nails with Naruto leaping back evading, but Kiba managed to tear Naruto's shirt leaving behind the four opened claw marks. Naruto looked down at his now torn shirt and back to Kiba with a bored look of his own.

"Thanks for ruining my shirt mutt."

Kiba attacks again but this time with his sharped right hands nails but Naruto caught Kiba's wrist with his left hand stopping his opponents attack to delivering a single right hand punch to Kiba's gut hard, sending the academy student flying, crashing through the fence into someone's back yard unconscious!

"Sleep tight…" Naruto said.

Naruto then heard what sounded like the growls of a dog and turning his head into said direction their Akamaru was giving him an angry growl so Naruto gave him a blank look, and with the point of his finger he demands.

"Sit"

Guess what happened? Akamaru sat while giving a whimper feeling the intensity from Naruto.

"Good boy," He said and motioned his head toward Kiba to which Akamaru ran to.

Now both Naruto and Sasuke stare at one another.

" _How did Naruto do all that just now? He's never been to the academy and he hasn't had any training? Kitami even said that her parents never trained him._ " Sasuke thought.

"What are you looking at me like that uchiha?"

"How?"

"Hmm?..." Naruto asked.

"How did you take down Kiba?" Kitami said that you had no training?"

"Is that so? Are you going to fight now? Or are you going to keep looking at me like that like that?"

"You seem to be a worthy opponent at least worthy enough to entertain me." Sasuke slowly drew his grass cutter blade now within hand.

"Now that's just not fair but I guess this will have to do for now" Naruto said as he took one of Kiba's kunai from the ground in his right hand.

He let himself drop back as Sasuke was already before him performing he had greater speed than Kiba with the blade of his grass cutter going past Naruto's nose merely an inch away and Naruto kicking himself away with his feet, and landing on the ground sliding back atop it until coming to a stop.

"Fast" Naruto complimented.

" _He dodged my blade! He's faster than Kitami or Yuno!_ " Sasuke said in his thoughts as he readies his sword.

Naruto felt something close to his left foot and look down to see another kunai. He picked it up and held it in reverse grip in his left hand.

Naruto looked back to Sasuke with a blank look his eyes and Sasuke narrowing his eyes at him. Naruto held both of his kunai in front of his body ready for combat.

Sasuke and Naruto dashed toward one another colliding their weapons locking them together with one another with Sasuke's grass cutter blocked by both of Naruto's kunai, and the two at the same time turning within the air. When both are on opposite directions of one another they break away to sliding along the ground on their feet having put distance between them. The two of them didn't take a moments rest as Sasuke vanished reappearing above Naruto delivering a kick but Naruto brought up his arm blocking Sasuke's foot to throwing him off before swiping with his kunai only for him to parry with his grass cutter. Sasuke landed on the ground to dashing toward Naruto attacking with his grass cutter as Naruto backing away blocking Sasuke's strikes with both of his kunai effectively which was surprising to Sasuke knowing Naruto had no training what so ever.

Naruto blocked another strike from Sasuke's grass cutter and quickly ducked evading his opponents steel! With his kunai in his right hands grasp now he swipes for Sasuke's legs as his kunai grinds through the ground with Sasuke flipping up and over Naruto just in time before the blade cut into his legs. Naruto made an lazy smirk as he looked over his right shoulder seeing Sasuke flipping over him and then swings his left kunai up toward Sasuke who was about to land behind him but Sasuke seeing this maneuvered himself in the air, and managed to block Naruto's blade but there was power behind the weapons impact causing Sasuke to fly. Sasuke managed to land on his feet sliding along the ground while making sure not to lose his balance until coming to a stop.

Sasuke looked at Naruto with a surprised look…

"How did he do all of that just now?" Sasuke asked himself seeing as Naruto blocked all his strikes and how Naruto performed with the weapons as well as batting him away like that.

"these are pretty basic against his blade-," Naruto said as he was looking at the kunai's in hand with a small smile "-but I'm not complaining."

Naruto looked back toward Sasuke with a smile.

"ill ask you like I asked the mutt other there. Are you done?" He asked.

Naruto saw Sasuke's eyes turn red having a single comma around each pupil of his eyes.

"I don't know if you know this, Sasuke. But I really don't want to fight anymore" he said dropping one of his kunai.

Sasuke growled at Naruto's bored behavior.

"don't want to fight! You don't have a choice! This is my clan's bloodline, Sharingan! You get to be the first one I use it against"

"do I have to?" Naruto asked narrowing his eyes a bit.

Sasuke growls in anger using his speed once again vanishing to reappearing midair behind Naruto performing a complete 360-degree kick intended for the back of Naruto's head but Naruto ducked while turning around blocking Sasuke's grass cutter blade with his kunai. Naruto took advantage of the opening and with his free left hand he punched Sasuke in the gut making Sasuke spite with his eyes wide. Sasuke was sent flying through the air once again to taking a tumble until finally coming to a stop along the ground. Sasuke slowly picked himself up having a hand upon his stomach with his blade in his other hand as he was taking in slow and steady breaths, and looked back toward Naruto who points his kunai toward Sasuke.

Sasuke pointed his grass cutter blade toward Naruto ready to continue on into battle…

"Why are you picking a fight with me anyway, Sasuke? What are you like Kiba to? Do you just want to harm me for satisfaction?" Naruto asked.

"I told you I wanted to fight a worthy opponent and you are Kitami and Yuno's brother, and not to mention you are the son of the Fourth Hokage." Sasuke said.

Naruto then lowered his kunai before Naruto looked back at Sasuke and said…

"He's not my father…"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at Naruto's response as well as confused.

"Not his father?"

Then next thing Sasuke saw was an ANBU appear behind Naruto and hit the back of his head knocking him unconscious.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Naruto opened his eyes and found himself in a room.

It wasn't like the velvet room like his dream before but different. The room itself seemed to be some sort of bar with a few windows that varies in different shades of orange and some red in color décor.

Naruto realized he was in a booth right next to the bar counter, arms on the table before him but what one thing that really draw his attention was the exact duplicate of himself sitting across from him. golden locks of hair, the same peach tan skin like his. That wasn't even counting the whisker marks on the copy's face, Naruto swore that if it wasn't for the eyes they possess he thought he be looking in a mirror. His eyes…. They weren't like his own familiar orbs of sapphire but yellow, sickly yellow eyes that stare back at him.

"Hmm…...how long are you planning on starring at me?" The copy asked snapping Naruto out of his thought and making a blush appear on his face out of embarrassment, he was starring.

"Sorry…." He apologized making the copy chuckle

"Heh then again I am pretty good looking." he boasted.

"W-wait! Where am I? Who are you?" He asked clearly wanting some form of knowledge of where he was and who the figure that wore his face really was.

The copy of him rolled his eyes before he grinned at him. "Where are we. Well that's not important at the moment. "he told the boy, who stared at him suspicious.

"But who am I. it should be oblivious…." He said staring him dead in the eyes.

"…. I'm you..." he stated

"….." Naruto silent and processing this.

"I mean with all the evidence standing before right in front of you, it shouldn't be that hard. "

Naruto stare at his doppelganger. His family forgetting ignoring him he could handle; the velvet room dream with Igor and Marie he could handle but this? He could handle Kiba and Sasuke wanting to fight for no reason? This he could not handle! This…this copy? calling itself him!? this he could not understand of believe for real!

"how do I know you're not lying? Asked cautiously

"hmm. that's a fair point. I could be a strong genjutsu, well I could be…" he trailed off looking away from Naruto.

Unless I didn't know about us getting scolded by our parents for doing a chakra control exercise at the age of six.

Naruto blinked. Eyes widening, only his family, kakashi and himself knew about that. So how does this copy of him know about it. More questions keep piling on and on the more he asks and his copy talks.

"~hello… anyone home ~ came the tone of his own voice yet different. While he sounded quiet and a bit defensive, the other sounded powerful and full of mischievous.

"h-huh?" came Naruto's smart response.

"Are you going to deny it? Are you going to deny it like all the other times that this this happened to you?" gone was his joking demeanor, he was serious.

"how do you know this?" Naruto asked unclear of the copy.

"I said it once before" he stated with annoyance. "I know everything about you. Everything you've done, every injustice you've suffered, every time you've been alone…." he said before looking at him with a small smile.

"I know it all"

"h-how I don't get it?..."

"I saw everything. I was there, and this is because…" he looked at Naruto with a smile, nit just a smile but an actual kind caring smile that he rarely has.

"I am you Naruto Uzumaki"

"…"

"well? You didn't answer my question from before. Aren't you going to deny it like you always did?"

"I ...always did?.." Naruto was confused now. He didn't know what he was talking about, and didn't know what to make of this conversation. "um…. alright so you are me? So, I'm talking to myself is what your saying?"

"you don't deny it then?" the copy's expression softens and became more friendly suddenly. Hell, he looked a bit more eager with the look Naruto was getting.

Naruto was pretty sure this whole bar was a dream and in dreams anything could happen. "I…I…honestly don't know how to even think anymore. Its possible I guess."

"Perfect" for some strange reason, the copy looked relieved and flashed a smug grin so unlike of Naruto.

"do I even grin like that" kind of convince that this was still a mere dream, Naruto concluded that he should at least throw some questions around at least.

"you could if you stop caging me."

"c-caging you?"

The copy sighed at his response, he looked at Naruto and right there he could see so many emotions through his yellow eyes.

"yes. I am you like I said many times before. I am you. I am your shadow. The part of you that you've been suppressing for oh so long until now. The cold and Machiavellian part of you that grew for every injustice laid upon you, but you were to afraid to admit or even unleashing the rebellious and mischievous part that desire to return justice to even through some questionable means. Means familiar to a certain protagonist you come to like the most. You like it, of how cleaver he dealt with people through quick and questionable means. That's the reason you detest and rejected because you didn't want to admit that the thought of using any means crossed your mind. That's the reason you tried to be rid of me and caged me here, below in your velvet ocean away from your sight." The clone motion to their environment surrounding them.

Naruto looked past the room they reside in and looked out one of the windows to see what the copy meant is right. The room was like a cage on the outside with chained up and underwater, with the chain leading up to the velvet room boat he was in dreams before.

Naruto looked back to his copy who was staring at him." So…. you going to suppress me, reject me again?" it asked patiently waiting for his answered.

"this…all of this? What is it? A grudge?"

The shadow looked astonished. "a grudge? No…. acceptance…I'm not the one to hold grudges. What I want is acceptance. That's all."

Naruto was totally clueless of what his clone meant by "acceptance." He decided to throw another random question instead. "Um, do you have a name? Or should I call you by my name or shadow since you are me?"

His double raised an eyebrow. "Good question. I actually never expected you to ask me this! And yes, I have a name." He smirked. "You may call me **Inari.** "

"Inari..." that name? Why did that name sound familiar? "Uh, okay. So... now what?"

"Naruto, let's make a deal. If you accept me, I'll help you achieve freedom. What do you say?"

"Accept you? How?"

"You have too many things bottled up. Just let loose occasionally. You'll feel much better, trust me."

The offer of help was tempting, but the devious smirk on Inari's face looked anything but trustworthy. I mean this guy is supposed to be his shadow right. Naruto wondered if accepting that deal was really a good idea. Inari reached out for a handshake. Naruto him It felt as though accepting the deal meant that he was making a pact with the devil. But... it was a dream. What was the harm in accepting it, anyway? He would only wake up, and everything would be back to normal.

Slowly, Naruto also reached out, and shook hands with his double. "Aaaaaaaaah!" Naruto screamed in pain as he heard a sound similar to shattering glass, and he felt as though something had exploded inside his head.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Naruto stirred covered in sweat, until his eyes finally opened. His vision was blurry but then it started to clear up and what he was looking at was a concrete ceiling and he knew where he was. He had a strong feeling because he had been here on more than one occasion.

He sat himself up looking around seeing the stone bed with mattress atop it and dirty pillow and then he saw the jail bars to realizing that his hands were bound behind his back. Looking over his shoulder he saw the special cuffs that were upon him. They were the kind that suppressed ones Chakra and not to mention that they were on a bit too tight then they should be. He sat up and breathed deeply a few times to try to calm down. What a strange nightmare that was.

"In here again huh? I defend myself and this is what I always get. Damn that Kiba. He must have made up some sort of story to get me thrown in here? Probably said that I attacked him and Sasuke, and it wouldn't be surprising if he did."

He stood up upon his feet as his thoughts upon the talk with Inari and what did he meant let loose? He then walked over to the bars of his jail cell and pushed his hand out to wave to the guard.

"Hey! Can you let me out?"

"Shut up down there, Demon!"

Naruto sighed with a shake of his head, some people just wont let their anger go. "I keep saying it I'm not a demon. You people keep calling me that"

The shinobi not liking what Naruto said was about to act like the many others that used to beat on him when he was younger.

"That's enough, stand down!"

Walking before and stopping before his cell was Minato, the Fourth Hokage.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked with that tone in his voice not really showing any emotion at seeing this man before him.

"What does it look like? I am getting you out…again."

"I don't need your help…" Naruto said turning around walking to the back of his cell that was reserved for good old him.

"You're my son and as a father I am going to remove you from this prison…again. You're lucky I don't just leave you in here…"

This was the last straw. Naruto couldn't keep it in anymore.

Naruto turns to the man. His blank and emotionless mask gone, his face twisted in great anger. "Then why don't you! You call yourself my father yet you or Kushina don't spare me an ounce of attention and instead focus on Kitami and Yuno!"

Minato was shocked at Naruto's outburst at him before grabbing his arm. "Naruto its like we said before, we'll train you later since they need learn to control the kyuubi's chakra but I'm not sure if we should with all this chaos we keep hearing you keep creating from others and especially your sisters. We- "

"that's what I mean! You have no idea what I've gone through! You've never listened to anything I had to say. You don't even to don't think to even see what their saying is true! Not the hateful villagers or what those two say."

Naruto couldn't bring himself to stop. His chest constricted, his eyes watered, and words kept shooting out of his mouth like sharp daggers. "Do you know the countless times I was bullied? with the other kids stealing my stuff or even beating me for just 'existing'. Then when I got bruises, you didn't even let me explain what happened, and outright scolded me and told me to stay quiet in my room! just from reports of the villagers that would do anything to have me kill or banished if they had their way.

Then both Kitami and Yuno then use me to take the blame for all their troubles and then spread lies about me to others, and then they tell you. So many times, I tried to explain the real story, but you only believed what the villagers and my sisters, of course, because your son's words are worth nothing to you." Naruto spat with disdain.

"You never talked normally to me, never praised me for anything. All you ever did was yell at me and badmouth me to the other clan heads! Aside from letting me live here in this house, you've never done anything for me!"

He rips his arm away from Minato and walked past him, he looked over his shoulder at him with a glare. "You never helped me with anything. Everything I've achieved until now was through my own efforts and those that do cared for me. I never needed your help, and I sure don't need it now. So, do me a favour and do what your good at. Ignoring me." He said before leaving the cell area.

The moment he goes out of the building he ran. He didn't care if people could or couldn't see him, he ran and ran until he was home. He went inside passing a curious Kushina and up to his room.

Naruto plopped onto his bed and tried to fall asleep. However, sleep didn't come. Naruto kept recalling how he lost hold of himself in front of Minato. He recalled how he hasn't been able to sleep a lot for the last few days, having nightmares of killing others and hurting more. The last one he had was murdering his own family.

Naruto was afraid of himself now. What if he lost control of himself and did something irreversible? He didn't want to sleep anymore. What if he had those nightmares again? However, the irony wasn't on his side. When he wanted sleep, it didn't come. And when he gave up on it, it came quickly and took over him with no warning.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

When Naruto came to his senses, he was seated on the chair in the orange bar once more. Even though he had considered the possibility of having those multiple scenario nightmares again, he hadn't expected to dream about that bar.

"Now didn't that feel great?" ... nor to find his double standing in front of him with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Inari...!" Naruto glared at his double. "That was horrible! Are you saying you had something to do with it!?"

"Well, yes. It was you who wanted to do it. I answered your call, and you didn't hold me back this time. Being able to let loose was so refreshing!" Inari had an unsettling crazed expression on his face, one that Naruto couldn't think he could make.

Naruto didn't share his double's sentiment. He was overcome with guilt and regret for having shouted at Minato. "Kushina will kill me once she heard what I told Minato..."

"Or they'll finally wake up," Inari said nonchalantly. "For how many years have you been bottling all that up? You needed to say it, and they needed to hear it."

Naruto hung his head low in shame. "No, even if it felt good, that was wrong. Inari... please, don't do that kind of thing again." He pleaded in a quiet and shaky voice.

Inari's expression finally turned serious. He seemed hurt, and it looked like any wrong move might set him off. "You said you'd accept me. We made a deal, didn't we?"

Naruto nodded, unsure about how to deal with the sudden change in his double's demeanor. "That's not it! I-I didn't say anything about not accepting you. The thing is... I'm scared. I keep remembering those nightmares where I did all sorts of bad stuff. What if I lose control of myself and do those things? What if I really begin hurting people, or even..." Naruto was unable to finish his sentence.

Inari's expression relaxed. "That won't happen. You're in control. As rebellious as I am, I wouldn't do anything that drastic. Unless you wanted me to, of course. But I know you don't. Those nightmares you were having were just a warning, because your line of thought was getting too dangerous. But you don't entertain those ideas anymore, otherwise you wouldn't be having second thoughts right now."

Naruto sighed in relieved and nodded again. "I don't want to become like that. In those nightmares, I stopped caring. I stopped regretting. Feeling regret like I'm feeling now is horrible, but it means that I'm still sane, that I haven't gone of the deep end. From everything that I've gone through, I learned one thing. I don't like when people humiliate others and cause harm to others. It's the one thing I despise the most If I were to become someone that does those things, and worse, that feels no remorse for it, I... I'd hate myself."

Inari had a proud look in his eyes. "That's the spirit. It means that you still have hope. And I believe you made a special promise, too. You promised to become a greater adult than the ones in the village and serve as a good example to others, and to not lose hope. Wasn't that it?"

Naruto recalled the promise, and how fond a memory it was, he promised Itachi he would. "Yeah, that's right. From the time, I made that promise, it felt like it's the right thing to do. It's a shame that I'd almost completely forgotten about that."

Inari shook his head. "No, not 'completely.' If you had indeed forgotten it completely, I wouldn't have remembered it, either. Good thing I was here to remind you, huh?" Inari grinned.

"heh heh thanks." Naruto chuckled, finally raised his head. "Alright. But what now? I said I don't need my parents' help and stuff, but to tell the truth, I don't really have anything to pursue in life, no thanks to the village."

Inari placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders and stared at him with determination. "What are you talking about? Can't you see the opportunity you got!?"

"What do you mean?" Naruto couldn't see anything good awaiting him.

"if you were able to become a shinobi like your sisters and everyone else. You'd be bound to your father and the village like them but you can't mean you're not going to be bounded. This means you can live in any way you want!"

Naruto gaped. He hadn't thought about it that way.

Inari wasn't done yet, though. "When you were little, you said you didn't want to grow up if it meant bearing more pain and loneliness. Back them, no one took your words seriously because you were a child. You waited for so long, and now you've grown up. Now your words have more weight, and your actions have the power to actually change things. It's your chance! Your life's your own, and you should be the one to decide what to do with it! Don't let anyone control your life anymore. It's time to show what you're made of. Just go and steal back your future!"

"Steal back...?" Naruto thought about it. "That sounds... uh..."

"Dangerous? Risky?" Inari removed his hands from Naruto's shoulders and grinned smugly. "Yes, no one said it'd be easy. But it's possible, and I'm totally up for the challenge. You?"

Naruto was unsure. He didn't exactly understand the suggestion and its implications, but the way Inari said it didn't sit quite right with him. Naruto stared intently at his double's face. "You seem so confident..."

"Of course," Inari puffed his chest, completely full of himself. "I wasn't named Inari for nothing!"

"Huh." Naruto still didn't understand what his double was getting at. "Whatever. I only wish I had your confidence."

"You have it. You are me, remember?" Inari winked. "You just need to lose the fear of showing the hidden part of yourself."

Naruto chuckled bitterly. "You make it sound so easy..."

"it never is Naruto but don't let that discourage you. The greatest of people never were confident ones. It comes with time" Inari said with a wise tone before taking one of Naruto's hands and placing a mask in it.

"huh? What's this for?"

"something important that you'll need in the future, trust me"

Inari said nothing, and only left Naruto to his thoughts.

Naruto sighed. How sad his situation was? He was so lonely that the only person he could confide in was a weird look a like inside his dreams.

"Sounds like someone's coming. Good luck."

"Huh?" Before naruto could ask what that was supposed to mean, his dream faded away.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

He woke up to the familiar white ceiling of his room, he was back to his room. he thought back to what Inari said to him.

'you can live in any way you want!' he remembered. He can live it any way he wanted. He cant stay here in this house with them. He needs to leave but where?

 _Flashback_

 _Both of them have been sparring for a while._

" _Naruto-kun that's enough. We can continue some other time." Itachi said standing up while Naruto stop as well before sketching his limbs a bit._

" _really? We've barley started. He replied_

 _Itachi nodded." Yes for now. I have to go back to my apartment and rest for now before my next mission."_

" _you have an apartment? I thought you live with your family in the uchiha clan manor? He asked_

" _I did but I needed some time away from them, especially my father. Sadly I haven't had the time to spend with Sasuke because of it and the amount of missions I'm given." He said_

" _heh your lucky since you don't have to live with yours. I'm stuck with mine until I become an adult since I can't become a shinobi" he said in depression, Itachi seeing Naruto like this had an idea._

" _Naruto-kun how about you come live with me then?" he said, surprising Naruto with offer._

" _A-are you for real? Why ask me?"_

" _I know how your problem with family and I thought you might like to live a bit away from them. Besides I have more room than I need."_

" _you s-sure?" he asked, considering the idea of living with someone else._

" _yes I am"_

" _I…I. see. I think I need to think about it." Naruto said, still unsure of himself._

" _very well but the offer still stands. Take your time."_

 _Flashback end_

Well now he's sure of himself. He might as well take the offer now before Minato comes back and tells Kushina.

It was already night. As he walked he saw a blue butterfly that flew by his head. He turned but it disappeared, He looked at his NinjaTech watch, it was a good piece of technology besides what they have here in kohona, that can act as communication between people or teammates. It has a lot of functions, some of which Naruto played around with. He was lucky to get it from his parents at all.

 **"Corrupted heart is near your location, open world now?"**

I have no idea what the hell I just read right there from my NinjaTech. Corrupted heart? Opening a world? What the hell was that. I looked at the screen with shock and fear. There was something wrong, and whatever it is, I have no idea on how to solve it.

A blue spec flashed just above my line of vision, but it's glow made it clear that it was there. Naruto don't know why, but he looked up slowly to see what blue light had suddenly caught my attention. I saw beautiful, glowing blue butterfly flying in the air majestically. It felt so odd watching it slowly flap its wings and glide through the air. Everything around me darkened, as the glistening blue insect radiated a brilliant blue aura around it. I stood there, dumbfounded. he then notices that it disappeared into a crowd of people who seemed to come out of nowhere.

Then there were suddenly many people walking all around, all of them rushing in all different directions, scurrying to their next destination.

'What the heck…right now shouldn't most people be in their homes right now, it's too far into the day for it to happen. Even then, I need to find that butterfly.' his only goal that occupied his mind was to find the blue creature. he started to walk to the crowd that it got lost in, the more he pushed to get through, the more people started pushing back without an insult which was strange.

The wave of people kept tossing him left and right. After a couple of a minutes, he was standing in the middle of an intersection. With swarms of people coming at him left and right, stampeding through the streets. he looked around desperately to find the butterfly, or to even find any distinct color of blue. After a few minutes with looking Naruto had no luck on finding it again.

he gave up, as his desperate search for the blue creature was worthless now, the butterfly was long gone by now. He caught a glimpse of silver and green when he turned to walk away, he rotated his whole body at it's direction, only to be met with a herd of people bulldozing right at me. After he dodge the horde, Naruto let out a harsh breath, as he winced at the pain in his ribs still.

'I don't know why I want to find this stupid butterfly so badly, but I have this odd attraction toward the stupid thing, I feel some sort of connection with it.' The vibration of his NinjaTech indicated another message was sent to me again. I checked to see that it was the same unknown caller that contacted him again. Having hope that the message would give him a hint about the butterfly, Naruto started to read the message.

 **"Corrupted heart targeted, opening world now..."**

After reading it, a rectangular shaped icon popped up. It had a pure red background with an black eye in the middle, there were also black pointed spikes pointing outward in all different directions from the eye.

He didn't know what to do with this odd phenomenon, he just tapped the icon one time to open it, it didn't seem to work, so Naruto kept tapping the icon a couple more times, but it seemed to have the same effect.

Then the icon randomly then started to grow on the screen, it grew so much that it eventually covered half of the screen. Their were red rays that seem to flow out from it, as it grew bigger and brighter.

Everything suddenly came to a stop. The people, the wind, the noise, everything was literally frozen in place. I looked around crazily, he couldn't believe what was happening before my eyes. All the movements from the people running around had slowed down to a stop, a bird was hanging in the air still in mid flight. Naruto even saw water hanging from a upside down water bottle that was dropped. Everything then started to become distorted, as red and black waves pulsed throughout everywhere that had his vision on it.

he couldn't handle the nauseating view of it spreading everywhere. he closed my eyes tightly, while clutching my head at the sudden pain, as a massive headache seemed to take place.

A couple of minutes and the sound of the wind hitting Naruto's ears was back.

his skin had goosebumps all over as soon as he felt the shift in the air. Something is different, Naruto know right now that something is wrong.

he tried to open my eyes, but the pain in his head increased, he then kept on pressing into his head with his hands, trying to suppress the pain.

'Damn, this fucking headache…it hurts like a bitch.' he didn't know if I could open my eyes with this amount of pain, it was too much for Naruto to bear. Maybe he should wait it out, but how long will it take for it to subside. There's no use on trying to force myself, I think I'll just wait…

" _ **You know the more you stand here and do nothing, the more time will be wasted on you finding out about your potential, on you finding your true purpose here, I suggest you hurry…unless you wish to die by his hand now...**_ _"_

The voice left as fast as it came but Naruto know who it was.

'That voice…Inari?...he's talking to me other than my dream?, something is happening right now if that's the case, and that he's apart of it. And if I don't hurry on, then he might be right on the me dying part. I need to figure out what's happening, I have to open my eyes if I want answers, I can't stand here and wait.' It took Naruto a while, but I built up enough strength to open my eyes just a little bit.

At first all he saw was the tint of green that surrounded everywhere, but then Naruto was faced with an extraordinary sight as it cleared.

There was a grand rich land that was in front of him. The buildings, roads, the sky, all of them were changed.

There was a huge mansion that looked like one of the Daimyō's castle right in front of him, with the buildings that surrounded him turned into structures that fit to the castle. They were all made of hard stone and wood, and instead of the street lights that were in the streets, there were tall streetlamps that provided light to the area.

The castle ahead looked like any other. It was tall and stretched out pretty far. The most notable feature was the one lone tower that stood still in the middle of it. It looked like the Hokage tower, as it looked like the kind of tower that would have held a princess that was captured. It looked to be a lot bigger than what the Naruto has seen, but nevertheless it was still odd.

Looking around, I noticed that the everything had a green hue to it, the air, the sky, the light, everything had some sort of green on it. There also seemed to be no one in sight, as I still stood in the intersection of crossing roads.

The castle opened up, revealing a drawbridge, then the squealing of iron rubbing together was heard, as the giant iron drawbridge was let down.

Naruto looked on with his stomach in a twist from the action. Should he go in there?

 _'If I don't go, I may not find answers about the voice, and if I do, it could lead me to my death.'_ Naruto thought of all the pros and cons about going or not. Then with a determined stare, he walked pass the castles gate, and walked on the iron bridge. He stopped, as the adrenaline pumping through his body was at all time high right now, Naruto was breathing great uneven breaths as he continued looking forward.

 _'It's now or never.'_ And with that, he trudges on into the castle.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The inside was very odd to say the least, as there were mechanical gears in the ceiling, creaking and squeaking, echoing its sound to make it louder then it needed to be.

The whole place was decorated with a Japanese styled decor, with white and silver being its main color scheme, there were also paintings of people who looked like shinobi\kunoichi, which were in the middle of tall white pillars. The pillars were in a perfectly ordered line on each side of the large room, all of them reached from the bottom to the top, with intricate designs of animal summons one set, and the other with designs of humans. The main attraction from the giant room, was the big and luxurious stairwell that split into five different ways. On the very left was a red door, next to it was a white door, in the middle was a bright silver one, on the right was a golden yellow, and at the very end was a dark black door.

There was also a very high up balcony overlooking the entire room, that was just beneath the roaring gears. It was hard to tell what was in the balcony, as the light seemed to stop just before it could reach it. But he could easily feel eyes directly on him, never leaving him as he walked in.

"Who's up there!" the young Uzumaki yelled over the grinding of gears, as the feeling of eyes were still present, but somehow increased in its intensity.

 _"Well, it seems I have a trespasser…should I have the demons deal with you now? Or toy with you a little…decisions…decisions…"_ The voice that came from above was as clear as daylight, though it sounded a little distorted, and made it hard to understand, though Naruto swear he's _heard somewhere before…_

 _"You won't last long in here, I know that. Though your death may not be the most painless or quickest, it certainly won't be the most painful or slow."_ The voice stopped and dropped something from the balcony in which it spoke from. A long slim object was spinning toward the ground. He squinted to try to make out the object, only for me to see that it was coming straight at him. I had little time to react, as I dodged to the side, rolling until I got on my feet again, I held ribs in pain, as it acted up from the action.

The object struck the ground, and sticked into the floor. It was a long white and black cane. The handle was a pearlescent white, while the rest of the cane was a onyx black. It had a round spherical circle in the middle of when the white met the black, with two golden gears side by side.

There was a dark, black, gooey looking liquid coming from the cracks of the ground that was made by the cane. The cane then dissipated into a silver mist, rising all the way up to the darkness of the balcony.

A figure was slowly forming from the black goo, as a shinobi emerged wearing a Anbu mask with a clan symbol on it, and a couple more accompanied it. There was something off about them, as at their feet held red veins that glowed in and out and the feeling of dread was a lot more present then before.

Naruto stood up and looked at them, more forming slowly from the goo as he observed.

' _Dammit! I can't have more and more of them spawn. I have to get rid of these ones, and then try and destroy that slimy crap._ '

Naruto took out his kunai and some shurikens, as he then prepared his body for the pain that will come for stressing it.

He threw a few shurikens, hitting some right in the between the eyes. Their mask like armor were not enough to block the powerful force that his shuriken thrown at them with, they disintegrated into nothing, as more of them kept coming.

He used his chakra to enhance his legs to quickly move around, striking mask shinobi left and right, nailing the ones that were about to strike him with shuriken. He increased his speed even more and ran around a group of them, catching them in a small tornado of wind chakra. He hit them down in the air, as they fell to the ground with a thud. he continued, dodging, slashing, guarding, and hitting all the fake mask shinobi that came his way.

This didn't last for too long, as using his chakra to constantly slay the creatures, he started to run out of energy at an alarming rate. he had less and less shurikens available to throw at them with, as more kept charging at him. Naruto kept pushing himself to keep on attacking them, but it wasn't long till he killed slower then they came. They were quickly overwhelming him, causing him to stick to a full-on defense. The claws kept coming and swinging from all directions. Naruto blocked them with his kunai and used his chakra enhance speed to get out the way of some unavoidable strikes.

The burning in my chest increased with every single action that I made. I was barely getting air in my lungs, as my heart kept pumping, the more I could feel my whole body start to shut down out of exhaustion.

One good hit was all they need to bring me down, as one of the fake shinobi got a lucky strike in while I wasn't paying attention, my defense broke in an instant, and sent me flying, colliding with one of the marble pillars. I stuck to it for a little, till I dropped like a sack of rocks some of my stuff flying into the air or skidding across the floor from my backpack. The irony was the fact that the mask I was given fell out of my bag and landed on my face. I heard the growling and muttering of the fake shinobi, as they came closer to strike me down. With my body spread apart, more injured then ever before, and with my kunai and shuriken clenched tightly in my hold I slowly stood up and looked upon the ever increasing horde of monsters, slowly creeping up towards me.

As I looked at them closing in on me, I let the grip of my weapons loosen, and let them fall on the ground, the sound of their contact on the floor was drowned out from the roaring monsters in front of me.

I gave up

'This is it right…the end…the final moment of my short life. This life, of a boy whose life been nothing but hell that no one will ever know why he disappeared out of nowhere, and died in a world in which no one will ever believe exist. What a miserable ending to my story.' The horde was a good couple of feet away now, with one of them now ready to pounce on me like predator finally catching its prey. I knew death was only part of the circle of life, and didn't have anything against it, its just that I wish I didn't die like this. I don't want to die…

 _ **'What's the matter? Again, doubting yourself? Again, accepting defeat so easily? Why do accept failure all the time when the odds are not in your favor. Why do you always find new flaws to find in yourself, to only point them out and never try to improve. Didn't those people that helped you showed that? Didn't they show you how strong you are. You are certainly a fool…a fool that knows the world that many people deny. A fool that knows what this world is really like and what corruption and pain it spreads, and what humanity truly are in the inside. I have one question for you fool, do you want power?'**_

Yes…

 _ **'Do you want to stand in front of death, and look at it straight in the eye?'**_

Yes…

 _ **'Do you want your life to change?'**_

Yes…

The laugh in which I've have grown so accustomed to ringed through the whole room like shattering glass.

Blue flames covered my body in a brilliant fashion, as I felt the mask from before stick to my face.

 _ **Take off the mask in which you hide behind, and set yourself free!**_

I reached up to my face and was met with my hand touching a solid object. I panicked on the unwelcoming feeling, as I grabbed it with both my hands and started to pull on it. The fake shinobi were staring in awe at the flames that still surrounded my body.

I pulled, and pulled, until the sound of flesh ripping was heard. I pulled of the mask, and felt nothing as my head was lifted up toward the ceiling, and blood dripped down my face. A smile was all that appeared on my face, the feeling of emptiness was gone now, and was replaced with intoxicating joy.

I slowly dropped my head down to meet the monsters right in their blood red eyes, they stood still, staring at me in confusion.

My face went a light, as then my whole body was then covered in flames. The sound of a laugh was heard during the process.

 _ **I am thou**_

The rattling of chains and sound of tails failing…

 _ **Thou art I**_

The excitement

 _ **From now on we are one for the rest of our journey**_

The familiarness of his presence…

 _ **I am Inari the trickster god of luck and foxes...now, let us begin!**_

 _XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX_

 **So how was that? Let me know in your reviews and if any of you have an idea for how Inari will look let me know.**

 **Also, either PM me or leave it in the reviews for idea for Naruto and the other candidates of his crew's personas, weapons, arcana, or their thief outfits**

 **This is Speedy24 signing off.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! How you all doing?! Sorry for being slow with updating, but I had a few problems as like my sister messing with my files. she deleted this one which I had to rewrite all over again.**

 **Though I had help this time thanks to** **KurokamiRyuuzaki100 who offered to be my beta. Gotten Persona 5 and so far it. Is. Lit! Already in the first dungeon and I'm hooked onto this game.**

 **Though now that I'm playing the game I'll have more inspiration to write this story now.**

 **Please enjoy the new chapter.**

" **Thou art I** _ **"**_ Persona speech

" _ **Thou art I**_ " persona thought

[Suiton: suiryudan] jutsu release

"Persona!" normal speak

" _What?_ " thought/mind speak

" **Maragi** **!"** demon/Shadow

Chapter 3: The Fool's Awakening! and the heist begins

The feeling of it.

The swelling presence of it.

It surrounded the huge castle. As the feeling was sickening and repulsive, it would drive any man mad and sick. It would even make them question if their own end was drawing to a near.

The sound of flesh being pierced by shurikens and screaming within a castle could be heard from a mile away. As from the outside, the castle's entrance lit up occasionally, having roars of beast's ring throughout the vacant stone streets.

One thing was for certain from these events.

A fool, has awaken his power.

The fake shinobi that fell at the hands of Naruto were dead before they even hit the ground, as their body disintegrated before their pained groans and screams could escape their mouths. Dark red and black energy surrounded and destroyed the monsters, as it covered their body and made them burst into black clouds of smoke.

The rattling of chains echoed throughout all the castle's inside, the sound of the roaring flames filled the insides. the light from within the castle seemed to have had died, as the fiery glow of the flames that were spread all around were the only source of light to be seen. Only one lone dark figure could only stare from above with amusement and mischievousness, witnessing all the brutality that was being displayed in front of him.

 _Hmm... You seemed to have a very powerful resolve little one… you are certainly entertaining that's for sure, I'll give you that. But is this enough for you to keep on fighting for your pathetic life?_

The distorted voice from before taunted Naruto, as he now stood still with his weapons rightfully back in his hands, and with his appearance taking a drastic change from before.

The vulpine shaped mask on his face was a pure white, with a kitsune like orange design around the eyes of it. His torn and ripped clothing were replaced with a long black nine tailed trench coat that had an kyuubi design on the back of it with each of its tails going down the tails of the coat, with a burnt orange tunic shirt underneath, black Anbu pants, and black steel toe shinobi boots. His hands were covered with burnt orange gloves, as he stood with a little slouch, looking up top at were the voice spoke to him. The bright blue flames surrounded him, it spread all throughout his body. It seemed that he paid no mind, as he held his stare at the top.

The chains kept rattling and banging on the ground behind him, as a creature like no other stood behind him.

Inari, the trickster god, His mask was more defined...resembling more of a fox's head.

However, the bottom half of his mask remained uncovered, revealing the Large, razor-sharp teeth that lined his mouth. The ears of his mask were covered in a plate of white bone-like material with orange markings, giving him the usual pointed ears of a fox.

His nine long and deadly tails spread out far and wide behind him with chains wrapped around them, daring any to come near the god. The black sage coat he wore with orange flames lining around the torn bottom of it, he wore it over the blood red bodysuit that cover his body with black lining, His feet were colored in a shade of blood red Greaves, His hands were a pure blood red as well, and were those like demon hands, with black claws as fingers.

" **Hahahaha! Man aren't you quite an interesting man. Your heart is filled with so much sin from within it that I can't tell which one is more prominent than the other. You've probably experienced more grief, choices, and temptations, Hell! Even hatred and fear than any other man should have to ever live to face for themselves. But then again, that doesn't mean you must have given into those temptations so easily. It's quite something."**

Inari spoke toward the voice from atop, as Naruto's glare only indicated that his attention was not toward the demon or the man's words, but to the balcony hanging over the entrance of the castle.

Someone or something was there, he could faintly feel it but he was sure.

 _"I see…you can see my flaws and shortcomings so easily, and still keep on fighting these creatures of man with no effort. You seem to be a very wise and powerful being, and your owner is very determined and bright young man, he holds so much promise for the future of man…Well…no matter. The both of you have made this very intriguing for me to watch. For you two to slay my shinobi with so much ease, and for him to unlock that power, it shows me there is more to the Hokage's son just like humanity, for the people to finally know and accept on how this world and it's inhabitants have become and not live on the lies constructed by the countries to try and withhold whatever peace that is still withheld throughout these times…but, you have trespassed my land, and that cannot be forgiven. This is where our paths will end. I wish your death is as meaningless as humanity's futile attempt on it's survival."_

After the voice from above stopped talking, all the fake shinobi that still survived started to twitch with a seizure like movement. Their Anbu masks transforming into Angry faced metal masks.

After their odd little transformation, they looked at Naruto and Inari's direction, all of them had their eyes on them and nothing else. One of the more reckless fake shinobi of the bunch charged right at them.

" **Heh heh, well 'partner' looks like you get to finally have some fun and go wild!"**

Inari disappeared from behind Naruto, as Naruto then jumped over the shinobi that tried to ram into him. While in midair he lifted his right hand, and threw a shuriken straight through the monster's skull from the top of its head. The sound of a crack made it known that he hit his target.

Watching the beasts motion dropped in an instant, leaving it tumbling till it stopped on the ground a couple yards away from where Naruto once stood face first.

Naruto landing softly on the ground and looked back at the presumably dead shinobi.

Quick little jerks from the creature on the ground showed that it's death wasn't the case. As it clumsily and slowly got back on its feet.

It looked back at its thrower, its eyes red glow still brightly shining at Naruto with hunger in them.

"What the bloody fuck?" Naruto muttered staring at the fake shinobi before he heard the sound of more fakes charging at him.

' _sigh… alright let's take them all out at once,'_ shurikens in his hands, enhanced with his wind chakra.

He then jumped once more in the air, higher than any of the fake shinobi could of dream to reach, and started to spin and throwing hail of shurikens.

All his shots went all around the place with incredible speed, and with even more incredible accuracy, as all of the shots connected to a solid piece of flesh, which caused alot of thudding come from the ground below Naruto.

He landed and rolled off of it, as he stood on his two feet to see what damage he has done to the creatures, hoping that they were and stay dead.

To his surprise, with his impressive throwing performance, they all surely started to get up just like the first. Naruto was a little annoyed with this, and his body then had wind whirling around him, as he started to charge at the large group of fake shinobi.

The tearing and ripping of the monster's flesh were constantly heard as Naruto slashed expertly into each one of them along with the slashing winds around his body.

He sped off to one near a group of them and planted his feet on it's head and pushed on it, it's head crushed against the ground, as Naruto jumped at another one that was near the group.

He spun in the air while flying towards it and held his kunai tightly. As he got closer to the monster, he then rammed his knife into the fake's skull, the sickening crack of the bones shattering in its skull rung as the fake shinobi was too slow to react to naruto's incredible speed throughout the whole motion.

Taking another kunai, this one with a tag on it, he lit it and threw it at another group that was getting far too close. The kunai lodging itself in one of the fake's skull before the tag exploded taking the group with it.

He took out the knife and spun on his heel to kick the monster's face, sending it flying far away. He used the momentum of the kick to make him turn around to face a couple of them that were slowly creeping up at him.

 _' There's no end to them!,'_ he thought seeing them coming towards him

" **Hey partner, what's wrong? Is it too much for you? Then why don't you let me show you how to do it right!?"**

"Inari!" Naruto ripped his mask off, which burst into blue flames, and crushed it, summoning Inari behind him. Inari spun around in the with his tails out, and raised his hand to form black and red energy, It surrounded one of them in the middle, and it exploded. The force sent the ones that were near flying off in all kinds of directions.

It seemed that Inari's effort did the trick, but that was soon dismissed as the fakes just started to get up again, seeming to have no injuries from his assault or look of harm, they looked as good as new.

" **Tch now that just stings my pride"**

"Why aren't they disappearing? Just die already!" Naruto questioned out loud with frustration. Inari chuckled at Naruto's anger, though he would have to agree as well.

" **You want them to die?…ha ha ha, well partner if you want them to stay down, then you're going to have to reveal their true self. Take the masks off…and take down their inner demons that come forth!"**

"Demons?" Naruto didn't hesitate to take Inari's word of advice, it's not like he hasn't been wrong…. yet. So, when the next fake charged at him, he jumped on up and landed on his shoulders.

"Why don't you show me what's behind that mask?!" Naruto aggressively grabbed its mask, and ripped it off the fake shinobi and kicked him away. The fake shinobi shook its head furiously with black goo dripping out of it's now dark and empty face, it took a few seconds until it stopped and started to twitch.

It's small jolt led to it fully spazzing out of control. The fake shinobi then exploded into the black goo from before, and quickly reformed from it to turn into what appeared to be a woman in robes and holding fans with one over her face.

"Ooookay? I have to ask…what the hell is that?" It seemed to not like Naruto's question, as she then flicked her wrist, shooting a green slash of energy toward Akira. He immediately dodge to the side out of instinct and looked at where the energy flew. Only to see it cut one fake completely in half.

"Okay…not going to take this thing lightly….at all," Naruto stood up and looked at the robed women like creature.

" **This is that fake shinobi's inner self, whatever human on this world who has accepted sin and gave into temptation, has made that fake with their inner emotions and their sins. Which when revealed, showed what that human's true self really is inside, in this case, an Alp…Tch it just had to be one too…"**

"What, you dated one these things before?"

" **God no, but have you ever tried to get one to leave you alone? They're relentless, they just won't take a hint at no."**

Inari trailed off, a little annoyed on the true form of whoever has Alp as their true self.

More fake's started to gather and surround Naruto, as after the little explanation from Inari and revealing of that fake's true form, seemed to cause them to be much bolder than ever before. They all flew at Naruto, wanting to kill the boy.

' _yeah like that worked the first time'_

Naruto [shunshin] out of their path, and proceeded to attack them once more.

He quickly sent some flying away with another one of Inari's _Eiha_ as he was told, and slashed and shot at any grimm that got too close to him with his shurikens and kunai, as he constantly had to dodge the green waves that came from the Alp.

One fake with a katana was ahead of Naruto when he was running. Naruto was about to collide with it, so he acted quickly as he pulled back his kunai and jammed it right under its mask as soon it was within his reach. Naruto then lifted it, ripping the mask off its face, then spun around and with his wind chakra covered fist, he socked it in the face away quickly, getting distance from the fake.

It once again jumped and twitch on the ground, until it exploded and showed a little flying snowman with a black eyes and a smile, a blue hat on top its head, and blue gloves.

 **"Heho!, you want to fight me?!"** The creature laughed in front of Naruto.

He was going to attack him, until the fake that were chasing him started to close in. He turned toward them and threw a couple of shuriken to fend them off.

Naruto jumped back, as he felt the chill of a huge barrage of ice that was shot at his back.

 **"Don't ignore me!"** Angrily said the snowman demon.

Naruto couldn't focus too long on him, as a familiar flash of green was coming behind him. He ducked and watch to see that it hit the snowman thing, and he got knocked down hard.

 **"Owww! Damn you stupid devil, that hurt!"**

The thing still laid on the ground, as the alp then stuck her tongue out mockingly at the fallen snowman.

 **"You were in the way when I sent it. It's not my fault, and don't call me a devil! I'm an Alp."**

Naruto's eye twitched in annoyance as he had enough of these odd creatures bugging him with his fight with the fakes. So, he raised his hand and shot two shurikens at the both of them. It seemed to be very effective, as when the throwing stars hit the snowman, it exploded into a black dust and sent the alp right down to the ground.

Naruto ran to her, as he intended to slice her in half with his kunai blade.

 **"Whoa! Whoa! Stop!"**

Naruto came to a halt, with his kunai pointed at her face.

"Oh yeah? Why should I?" The fallen alp knew she had a chance to get out of her bad situation, but didn't know what to say. She hesitated for a while and looked around. She couldn't think of anything to stop the boy from killing her.

Naruto turned his right arm behind him, and threw another Kunai he had at the incoming fake that were creeping closer, while holding his cold stare on the fallen alp, not one second leaving his gaze from her. After a couple of seconds of his kunai and shuriken thrown, and no response from the alp, Naruto grew impatient.

"Alright no more stalling." He redirects his arm back at the pixie, with his kunai aimed right above her head, and about to stab her through the head.

 **"Wait! I can…I can, g-give you p-power."** Her statement caught his interest, as he stopped right when he was about to stab her through the brain.

"You can give me power? How is that so? And How?" The question was simple, but held alot of weight to it. The alp had to give the answer that Naruto wanted, or he would destroy her on the spot.

 **"I'll give you my power. You can use it for your persona."** Now that just confused Naruto on what she said.

 _'Her power for my persona? Does she mean Inari? What does she even mean by that?'_ Before Naruto could question or ponder what she meant, she turned into a small white-blue orb. The orb went to his face, and he slowly absorbed it through his mask.

" **Hmmmm, well isn't that interesting…. It seems that you and I have gained some of her power…but not all of it, nor her being also. Interesting…very interesting."**

Inari was floating beside Naruto and speaking out loud to no one in particular. He seemed to be able to summon himself on his own accord whenever he wants it seems. Naruto turned toward him and glared at him.

"You and I are gonna have a lot of talking to do when we get out of here." Inari typically chuckled at Naruto's statement/threat.

" **Yeah yeah I guess you want some answers. Now, we must escape this realm of reality, even with our amazing power, there is too much demons here to fight, you would tire easily."**

Naruto nodded and looked at the fake that he shot down when talking to the alp before. They were back on their feet and were even more pissed than ever before. They seemed to lose any sense of thought on a strategy, as they all charged at him like animals.

"Inari!" Naruto called out his name, and Inari was prepared for the next order that his partner would give him. Naruto once again grabbed the flames on his face.

"Magaru!" Naruto crushed the flames, and Inari waved his hand and let out a huge wave of the same green energy that the alp used before at Naruto. The attack was effective, as it sent the fakes scattering, but it wasn't enough to kill them, it only seemed to just push them back.

" **Tsk they're a resilient bunch, aren't they?"**

 _' they just won't stay down! What does it take for them die already?!…'_

" **Hmmm… partner? Get outside, you might be able to exit this world out there."**

Inari interrupted Naruto's thought, and so he then ran over to the doors in which he entered from to the castle, and went outside.

As he got out of the castle, he ran across the drawbridge and stood in the middle of the stone streets that he appeared at the beginning of his little adventure in the castle. He felt his pocket vibrate, so he checked his NinjaTech and looked at the text that it sent him.

 **"Exit ready, return back?"**

The black and red eye icon from before appeared, and so Naruto tapped on it expecting for it to send him back. To his dismay and annoyance, a notification showed on the screen.

 **"Error. Demons detected around your area. Unable to return."**

"Oh, come on!" he complained before he heard footsteps.

Naruto looked back to see that surely, three fake shinobi had followed him, the drawbridge was raised high, and the castle gates were closed.

 _'At least there won't be any more of them.'_ Naruto turned his whole body to them, the fakes were growling and raising their weapons at the boy's direction.

Naruto looked at them, giving a cocky grin while at it. He quickly activated his wind chakra as it flew around his body once more and charged at beasts head-on.

Speeding toward them, as he intended on taking them out quickly and swiftly, Naruto went straight toward one and feinted a attack on it, hoping it would fall for it.

They easily did, as the fake stood there and prepared for an attack, while the others charged to the that direction Naruto used his wind chakra to glide just a few inches above the floor to quickly move around all of them, confusing them in the process.

"Magaru!" Inari popped up and sent the sharp slices of air at the fakes. When it made contact, it didn't slice them in half like he expected and hoped it would, but it did make them all disoriented and weak, as the wind hit them with force and accuracy, time to deal some more damage!

Naruto took this time to quickly pull the mask of each one of them, they didn't resist much as they were still trying to recover from his surprise attack.

Like the fake ninja before them, they exploded and showed their true selves. One was revealed to be a pixie, and the other two to be pumpkin headed one that Naruto hasn't seen before.

Two balls of fire were shot immediately at Naruto from the lanterns of the pumpkin heads, as they turned and faced him. Naruto was surprised by it, and wasn't prepared to dodge in time, even with his wind chakra activated.

He crossed his arms in front of him, minimizing as much damage as he could from the blast. It seemed to work even if his wind chakra made it a bit worse, as the damage wasn't too great, but it still stung and managed to send him back a good amount from them.

The pixie sent a small wave of air right after the two fireballs, which Naruto luckily was able to dodges, as a quick side-step was enough for it to be avoided. He wasn't going to be barbeque any time soon thank you very much.

He composed himself quickly and looked at the creatures, trying to think of a plan to take them down quickly. Inari seemed to a step ahead of him, as he suggested a solution.

" **Partner, these demons can be reasoned with if you are able to get them weak enough, trust me on that. You already gained the power of that alp, try to see if you could get one of them to join you, you can finish off the pixie though. If my hunch is correct, then this certainly going to be an interesting turn of events…heh hehe"**

Naruto disregarded Inari's last couple of words, and quickly sped off to the pixie, he slashed at her diagonally a couple of times on her mid-region and finished her off with a good kunai to the face.

The now named pyro jack shot another round of fireballs at Naruto; he dodge them this time as he saw the light and felt the intense heat coming from one side, there's no way he's letting himself be hit by that anytime soon.

He turned around and threw shuriken at the two; they maneuvered through the air, not letting the throwing stars come anywhere near them. Naruto summoned Inari quickly after he failed to connect a hit with none of them.

"Eiha!" A dark ball of energy was in the middle of the two pyro jacks and engulfed them with the dark energy. One of them disappeared automatically from the blast, as it was right next to attack, while the other one flew to the ground and smashed on the cobble stone street, managing to escape the full blow of the blast.

Naruto ran and pointed his kunai toward him like he did before, trying out on what Inari had told him to do. He is him, right? No point in lying to yourself, though in his case he might do it for some shits and giggles.

 **"You think you intimidate me? Ha, that's funny."** The pyro jack laughed at Naruto. He scoffed at the demon's attitude to the situation that he was in, not liking on how this may turn out.

" **So, what do you want?"** It asked Naruto, who just stared at him.

"Your strong, I want you to join me. You can become stronger if you come with me." Naruto boldly said, the pyro jack just kept on laughing at the boy.

 **"Why should I join you? Why should I help you be stronger?'** Naruto was annoyed of the demon already, and as much as he wanted to stab it and end this stupid interaction he wouldn't, not if he could get him to join him.

Naruto thought for a moment and, then took on a devilish smirk and slowly spoke to the pumpkin once more.

"Because, if you don't...I'll kill you." Naruto spoke in a voice he thought would be intimidating. The demon didn't think so, as he continued to laugh. Now that hurt Naruto's pride since he got a kick on using that on the villagers that try to beat him up. It was fun to see their scared faces.

 **"Hahaha, you're a really funny guy. If you tell me a good joke, I'll join you."** Naruto was taken by surprise from the demon's request and just looked at him questionably.

 _'He wants me to tell him… a joke? Huh? I haven't really told a joke before, no one ever wanted to talk to me neverless hear a joke from me.'_ Naruto was lost in his thoughts at the request from the demon, but Inari interfered with his thoughts.

" **Just do it partner."**

Inari told Naruto quickly, not wanting him to be lost in his memories and thoughts. Naruto wasn't sure about the idea, but agreed on pursuing it. He mentally sighed to himself, and started to think of the first joke to pop in his head.

"Hmm...let's see...will you remember me in a year?." Naruto tried to think of something better than this kind of knock knock joke, but couldn't think of anything better for something right now, but the demon seemed excited about it.

" **hehehe this sounds fun, okay I'll play along"**

 **"Yes."**

"Will you remember me in a month?"

 **"Yes."**

"Will you remember me in a week?"

 **"Yes."**

"Knock knock."

 **"Who's there?"**

"see, you forgot me already"

There was a long pause after the 'joke' was told. Naruto looked at the demon with his serious face the whole way, as the expressionless happy face that was permanently on the pumpkins face stayed still. Seconds that felt like minutes passed as the soft sound of wind was only heard between them.

There was a burst of laughter from the pumpkin, as his whole body shook with joy, it couldn't stop moving from what Naruto could see.

 **"That was amazing! You certainly have a great sense of humor."**

Naruto just looked at the pumpkin with surprise. "Y-yeah I guess so…" Naruto awkwardly said, before joining in on the laughter. The pyro jack then rose up in the air for a little, and then started to speak.

 **"You are me, and I'm you. We're both the same but different at the same time. I'll join you and become stronger, so let's become stronger on this journey, as we are the same but not. Show me what you can do, Fool."** Different than the time with the alp, he turned into mask like his own, and was absorbed through Naruto's mask.

Inari spoke up with a smile on his face, as the action seemed to be done.

" **Well this just proves my suspicion right. It looks like you can get these demons to join you partner, but not all of them will be easy, since they are manifestations of other people's sins, which makes it you'll have to appeal to their good side to get them. This speaks volumes for what power lays in store for us in the future. It seems that me and you are stuck with each other with others to come along through the whole way."**

Naruto didn't know what Inari was talking about, but he didn't dwell too much on it. Naruto thought about Inari's words, as he checks his NinjaTech and looked at the screen. The black eye icon shined bright red on the screen. Naruto pressed it, and found that the world seemed to twist and morph once more. He disappeared from the distorted world, and returned back to reality.

A lone figure was seen on top of the tallest tower throughout all of over the castle, looking down over the land and at the street where Naruto once stood.

"It seems we have a new fool that has been played in the game. I wonder if he will succeed where they failed?." The black silhouette then disappeared, as the castle stood in it's full glory. Shining brightly with it's eerie green glow.

[Back to reality]

Naruto found himself back to the very road he was before he was transported to that strange world.

He never felt so drained in his entire life.

First, he had a fight with his _father_ , second, he had a dream and talked with his shadow again, only to wake up to leave and live with Itachi, then he got sucked into a world with no one else but those…. fake shinobi and a giant castle in it, and third, he can now summon a demon…so far, his days been going just peachy. To say that his day wasn't eventful, would be a blatant lie or insult.

As Naruto regained his vision, he opened his eyes and looked around.

People were talking, birds were singing, the sun is barely out, as it seem like some time has past since he was in that strange world. But aside that, everyone was going on with their usual lives, like the whole time stop never even occurred to the people around him. He's gonna have to ask Inari about that as well.

Looking around, he found that he was still in his torn clothes, and that his bag was laying on the ground. Besides that, everything was relatively normal. And it seems that his different outfit disappeared off his body.

 _'Was it a dream? Did I fall asleep in the middle of the road? Is that even possible…. I mean this is a ninja village, sure someone would've saw me…then again it might've been a Kyuubi hater…'_

 _ **[Sooooo, are you going to go to Itachi's home and rest? Or stand here like a mindless zombie. I mean you been standing there for a good ten minutes with a far-off look.]**_

Yep, that debunks the whole dream theory, He could hear that familiar and slightly annoying voice.

Naruto groggily bend over to pick up his bag, and proceeded to start walking Itachi's apartment was, and then he will have a nice little talk with himself…or his other self to be exact.

 _'What are you?'_ It was a question that he asked so much now, and feel as if he was never going to get a clear answer for it.

 _ **[Well to be frank and blunt with you, I'm you.]**_

And answers like that, make it even more confusing and frustrating. He's amazed he hasn't threaten to strangle him yet.

 _'Okay…you're me, so what are you.'_ Naruto wasn't sure if he was listening correctly, but it seemed that he heard someone let out a breath of annoyance right beside him.

 _ **[I guess I have to be more specific with you then. I'm your inner self, I am what you truly are on the inside, a joker, a fool, a thief. I am Inari, the Trickster God of Luck and Foxes.]**_

Okay, so on the inside he's a fox god…

Good to know, he guessed.

 _'How exactly are you with me? And why can you use those weird spell powers? That wasn't Ninjutsu or anything, right?'_ Inari didn't like my little interrogation on him at the moment, as he spoke in an irritated voice.

 _ **[Leave all your questions for later, I've answered what you should know right now. You must rest from the events that have transpired today. I also suggest that you take tomorrow off from your training…we have lots to discuss once you have rested.]**_

He really couldn't complain about that, by this point he was completely drained.

Going into autopilot, He kept on making his way through the village with the increasing want for a bed. He eventually noticed that he made it to Itachi's home, he ringed the doorbell.

*RING*

He waited as he heard footsteps, the door opened to a surprised and shocked Itachi. "Naruto-kun?"

"Hey Itachi. Is that offer still open?" he asked before fainting. Itachi quickly caught him as he picked him up and his bag as well.

Looking the boy over he wonders how Naruto became covered in this much cuts and bruises, dismissing those thoughts for now he carried the boy inside, closing the door.

[Two months later]

Night had fallen over the village hidden in the leaves; all was quiet under the pale moonlight. Until suddenly, in a swift flash, a figure leapt onto a rooftop near the Hokage's tower. The figure was average height, wearing black and orange. Wearing a long black nine tailed trench coat that had an kyuubi design on the back of it with each of its tails going down the tails of the coat, with a burnt orange tunic shirt underneath, black Anbu pants, and black steel toe shinobi boots. His hands were covered with burnt orange glove.

Taking out a pair of binoculars, he used his binoculars to find a path inside. What he did spot was a couple of Anbu around, probably looking for him. "Hehe oh don't worry, I'll be there shortly."

After putting his Binoculars away, he jumped off the roof. Twisting in midair he landed on a tight rope leading to another building.

Naruto loved the abilities he gained from his persona, as he could sneak pass short corners without anyone noticing, has incredible luck, his transformation jutsu is stronger than ever, he was able to hide in shadows quite well.

He jumped off and landed next to a ledge by an open window.

After that Naruto ran under the gate and into another room. He ignored the door that lead to the shop below and stood before another gate. He created two clones to pushed the gate higher above him and ran through before the gate could shut back down. He made quick work of the second gate and now the three of them were on a rooftop one floor below the Hokage's office but could see clearly what was happening inside. He dispelled the two clones as he came up to the seal in front of him.

"Of course, all it takes is a light touch." Naruto said as he held only his pointing finger, middle finger and thumb.

Each digit gained a small blue flame made of chakra. He placed his hand on one 'ring' of seals. Slowly he turned his hand turning the ring with him. He learned this from one of the demons he negotiated with.

With seals and safes like this all he had to do was focus some chakra into the safe in the right spot and slowly turn it like you were the one unlocking it. He had to feel his charka for, well the only word he could describe it as vibrations. He then turns it the other way still feeling for the vibrations. Then, one final time then the safe is cracked.

Naruto smiled as the safe unlocked when he pulled his hand away. The safe open up and Naruto peered inside. There were several files for the Hokage's eyes and his advisors only as well as several other important secrets to the village. Then, he found the files he was looking for. The files portraying one of the head civilians that own a part of the market places, he took out the files and place them in his coat.

He then pulled out a small black, red and orange card that was shaped and looked like a heart. It was his group's symbol, it was also Naruto's calling card. He always left them when he pulled off a heist.

His victory was short-lived because he barely turned around to see someone he knew body flicker into the room. it was someone he knew before and got the chance to know over the last three months. "Anko, flashing me again I see, don't you ever get cold wearing that?"

The special Jounin smirked at the thief. "Why don't you help me warm up in my interrogation cell?"

"Sorry I'm saving myself for a special girl. If she ever breaks my heart you can help me pick up the pieces. In fact, I think I will go meet her right now, ta-ta."

"You aren't going anywhere Trickster!" shouted Anko, sending several snakes at him. They bit into him…only to rip the log decoy instead. She quickly looked around to see the door open and found him running down the hall.

As she gave chase he heard on the speakers, "Intruder alert, all Anbu report to the third floor, east wing!"

Anko smirked, _'Reinforcements. Got you now Trickster…wait a minute, that's not even close to where we are.'_ Anko growled and gained speed to try to catch him while throwing kunai at him.

Trickster dodged the kunai as he went down a different hallway as both of his clones he made before ran to him, following him away from the yells from Anko. "Boss was this really part of the plan?!" screamed the clone on his right ducking under the thrown kunai. He dispelled them as he continued running from Anko, taking a different path.

Anko jumped after them and started to follow Trickster. The two jumped across the rooftops in their little game of cat and mouse.

Trickster finally stop and turned towards Anko, twirling a kunai on his finger. Anko stopped in front of him her hand loose to the sides ready to send her snakes out of her sleeves at him. "End of the line Trickster," she said ready for any move he makes.

He just gave her that same cocky smile, "Yeah sorry, our game has to end with the same results as always. Maybe next time we could catch dinner together?"

With that he dropped small pellets down on the roof, creating a smoke screen.

Anko sent to snake into the smoke, but caught nothing. When the smoke cleared, she screams in anger before jumping off trying to find anything that could lead her to him.

Far away, watching the whole thing was Trickster laughing with a smile on his face." Hehehe, she just won't give up." He shook his head at the Jounin.

Taking out the files he stole, he looks through them with a frown, closing them he turns around and then fell off backwards off the monument and disappearing.

[The next morning]

Naruto woke to the lovely smell of bacon drifting from the kitchen. Getting up from bed, he drowsily walked to the kitchen table of the apartment.

Naruto sat down stretching an arm overhead, yawning.

"I smell bacon." Naruto mumbled as he rested his chin onto his arms on the table still slightly sleepy. "Good morning Itachi."

Naruto said with a small pleased smile on his face at the smell of the food. Itachi just rolled his eyes at him, seeing as he knew he didn't need to go wake him up. With a small smile, Itachi put some more bacon on the pan, letting it sizzle to perfection. When Itachi was done, he filled up two plates of food and took it over to Naruto.

It's been two months since Naruto came to live with Itachi. Imagine his surprise when he opens his door and see the young boy covered in cuts and bruises. He had hoped the young boy would take his offer, generally knowing how he was treated by his family and the village. When Itachi asked, Naruto told him that he got jumped by some low rank chunin, instead of being caught inside a Palace as how Inari has called them.

Speaking of Inari….

Besides being a Trickster God of Luck, and…*sigh*… Foxes. He can be a bit overconfident, slightly aggressive, and pretty much a smartass most of the time.

 _ **[Aww partner, why the harsh words?]**_ came a familiar voice in his head.

' _If the shoe fits,'partner...''_ he shot back to the fox god, who just scoffed.

Naruto caught the image of himself in his Trickster ego on the newspaper Itachi was reading, gulping down his food. "Hey Itachi, whatcha reading?" he asked the Uchiha, who was skimming through it.

"Besides the news of the Academy having its family visit exam, there's news about this Trickster. I was away from the village on a mission for the Hokage when he infiltrated the Hokage Tower, having stolen important information and avoided being captured by Anko of the IT&T Department, with little to no effort nonetheless. If he wasn't wanted for theft of information and was a shinobi of the village, I would've liked to offer him a position for Anbu. His skills would be a great asset to the Hokage and village. "He told the blonde who was mentally laughing in his head along with Inari who was chuckling at the irony, an Anbu commander praising a thief who's sitting across from him.

" Really, you would? I thought you have to be an exceptional and very skilled ninja to be part of the Anbu Corp." Naruto asked, finishing his breakfast.

" Well yes, that is the case, but any shinobi ranked chunin and above can request permission to join the corp and they must have to go through a several trials to join if they want to succeed." He explained to the Uzumaki, as he continued on reading the paper.

Naruto picked up his plate as well Itachi's and left them in the sink. Looking back to Itachi, Naruto could only think of what was on his mind. It's not new that Itachi is known as a genius and prodigy of his clan, it's just that no one ever knew of the burden that's been placed on of his shoulders just because of that title of genius. Naruto remembered when he found out himself yesterday during training.

[Yesterday, Training Area - ?]

CLANG!

Two figures clashed in midair, jumping back from each other. One of the figures threw several shuriken before weaving through hand signs, it was Itachi.

" _[ Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!]"_ the figure bellowed before spewing small fireballs, which fly towards the other figure unpredictable while enveloping the shurikens.

"Shit!" the fireballs impacted the other figure.

The smoked cleared to show Naruto inside a sphere of water. The blonde released the jutsu and created two clones. Naruto then began to weave hand signs.

The two clones dashed at Itachi, both engaging in taijutsu with him while the original Naruto finished hand signs.

" _[Suiton: Mizurappa!]"_ Water gushes from Naruto's mouth like a waterfall towards Itachi, who was still fighting the clones. One of the clones managed to get behind him, taking him by surprise and grabbed him, before dispelling the other clone, holding him down.

Naruto thought he had him…but then suddenly Itachi began to glow. That's when Naruto realized that the Itachi that his clone was holding was actually a clone itself. The moment the jutsu hit the Itachi clone, it exploded.

"What!?" Naruto shouted in confusion.

Hands exploded underneath Naruto grabbing his feet. "What the-," was all he could get out.

" _[Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu!]"_ Naruto was dragged into the ground, only his head was sticking above the ground as Itachi emerged out of the ground.

"Very good Naruto-kun, but you are still lacking. You need to see the underneath the underneath," Itachi told him.

"Damn it, I thought I had you there!" Naruto whined.

"Better luck next time Naruto-kun," Itachi just smiled, though he noticed Naruto was smirking. He then felt a blade at his back and one against his neck. Two Narutos were behind him and at his side, each having a kunai at him with wind chakra flowing through it.

The Naruto buried neck deep poofed into smoke, showing that he was also a clone. "Still think I'm lacking, Itachi?" he said smirking, Itachi had a frown on his face but he smiled.

Taking away the kunai from Itachi, the clone poofing away. Naruto's smirked fell as he looked at Itachi. "Itachi what's wrong? You're usually not like this, you were more aware and ready for any surprises. What's on your mind?," asked a concern Naruto.

Itachi sighed, he guessed he should've seen this coming. Might as well talk with someone about it. "Naruto-kun... what do you see when you look at me?" he asked him.

Naruto scrunched up his face in thought, not expecting the question. "...You're Itachi Uchiha, my friend and one the people I can say that feels like family to me," he responded, Itachi smiled at that.

"Well that's what you see, but to others I'm Itachi Uchiha, prodigy of the Uchiha Clan; Itachi of the Sharingan, a strong proud shinobi of the Hidden Leaf," he said with a frown.

"Both the village and my clan expect great things of me. The clan wants me to do what's best for the them, but then I also have to do what's best for the village. But…but I can't," he said, his voice becoming cold. Naruto noticed this, looking at the older Uchiha with worry.

"Itachi...?"

"I... I just can't do it… before, it was different because we were in war but now that war has passed. I'm not sure anymore... what's the point of trying...?"

Naruto looked at Itachi, he always thought of him as a strong willed and unbreakable shinobi, but it looks like he was wrong. He then heard the voice of his persona.

 _ **[Every human/person has a struggle...including him partner. No one is invincible and no one is beyond the chains of their responsibility and doubt. Itachi is just one who endured until now with his struggles and chains.]**_ Inari had spoke to him as he looked at the emotional and bit unstable Uchiha.

"Itachi," he called out getting his attention. Naruto stared at him, his eyes narrow in a glare.

"What was it that you were fighting for before? In the war?" he asked him, the question taking him by surprised but he answered without a second thought.

"… For the safety of the village and my clan, my family," he said.

"Then what's stopping you now? I mean yeah, I can understand the pressure that's on you from everyone but what's really stopping you? You don't have to do it their way. You're not just a shinobi of the Uchiha Clan or Kohona, you are Itachi Uchiha, nobody else. Nothing more, nothing less. You can do this your way, in your Nindo way. That's the Itachi I know," Naruto said staring at Itachi.

Itachi…. he wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't expecting Naruto to say all of that. Do it his way? He never really thought about it like that. Looking back at Naruto, he hesitated, for he thought he saw Minato in Naruto's place for a moment. Shaking his head, he looked once again at Naruto, who stood there.

He smiled, and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto blinked at that, looking up at Itachi to see the doubt and despair he saw was gone and replaced with hope and relief. "Naruto, thank you for your words. Talking with you has helped me, as if some massive weight has been lifted from my shoulders," He surprised Naruto with what he said.

Naruto felt Itachi's sincerity from his statement of him helping the Uchiha with his position. Just then, a glass shattering noise rung out as did the rattling of chains.

 **Thou art I... And I am thou...**

 **Thou hast established a new bond and acquired a new vow...**

 **It shall become thee wings of rebellion that breaketh the chains of captivity...**

 **And bring thee closer to the truth...**

 **With the blessing of this Emperor Persona**

 **Thou shalt be blessed when creating**

 **Personas of the Emperor Arcana**

Once Naruto's vision returned to normal. _' What was the hell was that? Was that what Igor meant by Social Links and Vow?'_ he thought.

"If there's anything you need help with, Naruto, you can always ask me." Itachi said with a smile. Naruto nodded with a smile of his own, happy that he could help Itachi with his problems.

[Back to present]

Helping Itachi with that burden made Naruto feel relieved. He didn't know much about the Uchiha Clan, but he now knew that it wasn't anything relieving nor stress free. Though he was a bit put off by making his first social link and vow with Itachi. That was a thought that lingered in his mind, well that and what he learned from both Igor and his Persona, Inari. The information wasn't what he was expecting either.

 **[Flashback Starts]**

Naruto wasn't sure where he was going to be once he woke up but the moment he opened his eyes, he came to the sight of blue.

Velvet blue of the Velvet Room, to be exact.

' **Nice to see you finally awake sleeping beauty. Did you enjoy your rest?'** came the taunt of a familiar voice.

Naruto turned to his right to once again see himself only the difference this time was his choice of clothes. They were exactly what the being that was his persona had worn.

"Inari?,"

' **In the flesh.'**

"Okay… what's with the new look and what the hell happened back there?," he asked/ shouted at his shadow.

' **That…was you finally awakening your power. And the reason I look like this is because, thanks to you, I finally broke free from my cage and gained my power and true form."**

He gestures to his new look and the mask that rested on his waist. It was the same mask that his persona had.

 **'Before I answer any questions you have, you should ask Igor about the transformation first; because whatever questions you have for me, I'm going to tell you information that may not bode to well with you, and you have to be ready to accept it. Do you understand?'** Naruto wasn't sure. Yeah he wanted to know about all this stuff, but would he want to know everything all at once?

'Yes… yes I do. Besides, if I didn't then I wouldn't be taking the first step,' he thought, turning to Igor who had his eyes closed and hands crossed together.

"It's so nice to see you again, Young Fool." He said, with that familiar smile on his face, staring at him. " I see you realized that you're exhausted, you became that way after awakening to your 'power.' ...It's nothing to worry about though, my dear guest"

Naruto took whatever he said at face value, but he knew the man in front of him was right.

"So, just relax." He said raising his hands with a deck in his left. The top card rising up and floating in front of them both, It had the image of Inari upon it.

"By the way... I see that it was Inari that broke free and awoken alongside you. That power you felt and commanded, is called a Persona... It is a manifestation of your psyche"

"A manifestation ..of...my...psyche?"

" Yes, It may take some time to fully comprehend. A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli... You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships. To others, they wear that mask everyday without a care in the world, without knowing the truth of themselves." Igor stated, moving his gaze from Naruto to his shadow and then back to him.

"Each one has a shadow they keep hidden deep within and never once faced nor accepted the dark side of themselves without fear, unlike you." He said smiling and gaining the blonde's attention once more.

"You met with your own darkest emotions and instead of rejecting him, you tried to understand and even accepted him in the end; and because of that he broke free of the very containment you've caged him in. Through this, he matured from your shadow and became the very new source of power that you now wield." Igor explained to Naruto, who himself was surprised by this revelation, he took a glance at Inari who smiled.

"That being said, your power is still weak..." now that brought Naruto's attention. Weak? How was his power weak?

"Wait, whaddya mean 'weak'?" he asked.

"When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength from within. The ability evolves as you develop your Social Links - your emotional ties with others. You will also acquire vows; these vows will grant you more power as well. Bonds are the source of your power and as such you must create more. The stronger your Social Links and vows are, the more powerful your Persona ability. Please take that into consideration, my dear guest."

"Now, then... Time marches on in your world. I do believe you wanted to talk to your persona, I shouldn't keep you busy any longer." Igor said as Inari stood up and then walked over to another door of the room. this one was orange unlike the rest of the room.

' **Follow me if you want your answers partner'** Inari said, Naruto got up and bid Igor goodbye as he followed his persona. Inari opened the door to reveal the familiar Bar room only with a view differences, like there was a dance floor and more booths including the fact that it's bigger.

"This place looks a bit different than last time," he commented taking a glance around.

' **That's because it was my own cage and was supposed to accommodate me and anyone that came by. This one on the other hand is for me and the others that join us along the way.'** He said as he took a seat at a booth, Naruto taking the seat from him. Naruto noticed Pyro Jack at one of the booths, sleeping.

' **So partner... ask away.'**

"Well firstly, what was that place I was in?"

' **That is what I like to call the 'Palace'. It is manifested by those who hold great sin within them, so not all people have a palace of their own. The one we were in before seemed to belong to someone in the Kurama Clan Manor. I do think it would be interesting to see his demons as well. You might be able to steal their heart,'**

Naruto turned his head at Inari, and had a questioning look on his face.

"Steal their heart?" Naruto didn't understand what Inari had just said.

' **Yes. Steal their heart, you've seen what their Palace looks like and the demons that gathered there. Their heart is corrupted with sin, and as the such you have to do something about it or else the other heart that you saw will be crushed there as well and lost,'**

Inari stated to Naruto, who thought about his suggestion, and kept it in mind.

Naruto thought back to the huge castle, seeing at the how dark and unsettling it was.

" That was a 'Palace' of someone in the Kurama Clan…"

' **Yes, yes it was…'**

"Wait...You said there was another heart?" he said confused, before he remembered seeing someone up higher in the castle.

' **Yes there is another heart there, a young pure one. Though I'm not sure for how long,'** he said getting an odd look from Naruto, which has Inari rolled his eyes before he continued.

' **Think about it partner, you saw that palace, you've seen the demons there. That young heart is there, in a palace filled with sin. How long do you think that heart can stay there for so long without being corrupted or crushed?'**

"….."

Naruto wasn't sure on what to say since he had a good point. He wasn't sure what will happened there, but he wasn't about to let someone who wasn't corrupted like the rest of this rotten village become part of it, or worse.

"….you're right. Though what can I do?" Inari smile grew at the question.

' **Like I said before, you should steal their heart.'**

" Stealing their heart… you never explain about it or what would it do if I did?" Naruto stated

Inari turned to the side so that his body was facing away from Naruto.

' **To steal their heart, is to reform them.' Inari stated, surprising Naruto with the information about stealing a heart. 'for you to help the young heart you must take down the corruption of the palace, ergo the one in control, or you could go help the one there first if you want partner. You do understand, right?'**

Naruto nodded as he knew what he needs to do now. He needs to help that person in there.

Having a goal now in thought, he should ask another question that was on his mind.

"Inari... I need to ask..."

 **' Hmm? '**

" Uh...Could you explained what happened to my clothes back there? I mean I was wearing my training clothes before summoning you, and then I was wearing that outfit.." He asked, a bit embarrassed about his question.

 **'... Heh, your 'outfit', that's because of your own will. Your will of rebellion.'** He stated to his host, earning him a odd looked from the young blonde.

 **' Remember what I said before about a palace?'** he questions him, getting a nod in response. **' They're created by the sin of a person, but their sin is also distorted. This is a distortion of a person's sinful heart that affects the general area, thus changing the surrounding area into another reality that their sinful heart projects. Everything within the palace will and must obey to the ruler of the it, because of the power of their distortion. With me so far?'** he asks, Naruto nods again.

 **' In long story short, it's a world where one's distorted desires have materialized into a reality. To prevent this distortion you must hold a great will, a will of rebellion. Your outfit's appearance is pretty much the manifestation of your will. It's the image of your rebellion that you hold deep within. In other words, it is the side of you that you held kept away.'** He finished, staring at his host.

 **'Does that answer your question?'**

"Yes, yes it does...Thanks..."

 **' Don't mention it...Anything else?'**

But before Naruto could say anything Inari head perked up before he turned to him.

' **Tsk, looks like our time's up partner, I can't keep you here any longer. Next time I'll bring you here, or you can try to come here on your own accord. Either way, see ya later Naruto'**

 **[Flashback Ends]**

Ever since then, Naruto has been scouting out in the palace to get a feel of the exterior of the castle while he hunts for the person with the sin related to the castle with Inari's help.

It hasn't been good, though he manage to find out some new intel about the clan, apparently the youngest member and heir is shunned and feared by some of their own clan members for her great power held within.

Yakumo did just that, as her potential with Genjutsu was incredible to say the least, but unfortunately there was a small problem; and it was in the form of her body not meeting the physical requirements in being an active Shinobi. The knowing of that devastated her once she found out.

Thus, the reason why her father had begged the late Sandaime to have Kurenai train the girl and overcome this bump in the road in Yakumo's Shinobi career like Gai was doing with Rock Lee with the girl seeing Kurenai as an idol of sorts.

Sadly, Kurenai lacked the same conviction that Gai did and thus told the poor girl to find another teacher. With the way she said it, broke the fragile girl's heart. Still, the female Kurama wasn't going to give up, and stated as such to Kurenai before she kept on trying.

It looked like even all this time the girl's heart, even if a bit broken, stayed strong and pure. And now that very same heart is in danger from someone in her own clan if that palace is any indication to that.

Even finding all that out he still was clueless on who the palace belonged to.

Naruto decided that training right now would do him no good, since he was already exhausted from the training he did earlier to learn the [Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu] and [Futon: Kazeryūdan no Jutsu], besides the fact that Itachi was out of the village on a mission for the next few days; so, he decided to visit his haven for a while before going home for the day.

 _ **[Hehe, partner that sounds like a good idea since your gonna need it,]**_ came the voice of Inari, sounding a bit annoyed confusing Naruto.

'Inari? What do you mean by that?' he questioned the fox god in his mind.

 _ **[Look ahead,]**_ came the Persona's response, Naruto scrunched up his face in confusion before looking ahead down the street. The sight made him froze. It was his sisters, Kitami and Yuno walking along with their friends.

He decided to continue walking and hoped that they didn't notice them. Walking with their group it seemed to worked until one of the other in training kunoichi accompanying them decided to speak up.

" Hey Yuno isn't that your brother? The one not allowed to enter the academy?" asked a girl with purple hair styled in small ponytail.

That got Yuno and Kitami to stop walking and look where the girl pointed out, Naruto stopping at the same moment as well.

Naruto, not wanting to deal with the girls, try to play it off friendly and coolly, just greet them and then leave quickly without saying anything else.

"Naruto? Is that truly you? Came Yuno's voice, taking in his appearance after not seeing him for two months.

"Why Hello! Yuno, Kitami. you two look lovely today," He said politely, surprising his siblings.

Kitami spoke up, " Of course we do, unlike our ungrateful big brother who thought he was smart to move out of home of our great parents. Dad told us if you didn't know. " she boasted with a calm demeanor.

" I don't know what you were thinking, moving out? You're not smart enough to get their attention, so why try now with moving out? Where do you live now, hmm? I mean it's not like you could've gotten their attention since they have us" she said with a smug smile at him while the other kids laughed, Yuno smirking as well.

Naruto just stared at them while a scoff from his mind could be heard, he then begins to chuckle lightly before it grew into laughter. His laughter throwing them off the smugness they had.

" Hehehahaha! Wow! Is that what you truly think? I'm not smart to get their attention? Oh no, why would I want the attention of two horrible people who couldn't even realize how much of a little brat their daughter is," he said gesturing to Kitami with a smile

" Or how spoiled the other one is, compared to their son, but then again, I guess I'm not that smart am I, sister?" He said to them. The looks on their faces were perfect and priceless. Both of their faces were wide-eyed, with their mouth open and gaping at the blunt insults. If their expression was desert, Naruto would devour it with like it was the greatest in the world.

Yuno looked ready to explode and run up to him to break his bones to teach him a lesson, but Kitami rushed right at him with her fist, chakra coating it to increase the strength of her punch, ready to strike him down. Naruto himself didn't move in the slightest as if he was resigned to what was going to happen next. Kitami's fist made impact with Naruto's face.

Everyone stared. Kitami had just struck at Naruto, that wasn't surprising since he did mock and insulted one of the villages princesses. The thing that had them all staring was the fact of what wasn't happening.

He should be sent flying and in pain from the impact from her fist, but he didn't. In fact...he wasn't budging an inch.

"You know... I have to admit, I'm sadly disappointed. I was expecting a lot more since you were trained by Minato and Kushina, but then again what was I expecting from you?" Naruto said, moving his face back at her and the others. They flinched at his steely gaze, grabbing her fist and removing it.

Kitami tried to withdraw her fist, but she can't, as her brother's grip on her wrist was too strong for her to pull away. Naruto cracked his neck before looked at his siblings. His glare intensifying, the girls' friends backed away from the dark red aura coming off him, it felt menacing and fearful.

"Kitami...Yuno... I'm giving you two a warning because I'm nice and that I'm your brother. Don't fuck with me or piss me off, or the next time you try anything..." he trailed off, staring at them directly. " I'll personally rip off those pitiful masks you use and show everyone who you two really are for the whole village to see.." he said. The two flinched at his eyes...they weren't their normal crystal blue, but yellow/gold.

"Do you hear me?..." No response, he gripped Kitami's wrist even tighter, making her wince, and then repeats the question, but this time in a much colder tone. _"Do you hear me?"_ he got a response this time as they fearfully nodded. Naruto walk pass Kitami, Yuno and the others made way for him as he walks away from them.

Making sure he was out of sight did Yuno ran up to Kitami, who was rubbing her wrist. Her eyes never leaving the direction her older brother just went. She shivered, remembering the tone he used towards her. Her thoughts then turned more hateful at the audacity of how he treated her, like some little child! He should be at her feet and listening to her every whim, like the pathetic sibling he is. She'll make him pay for that his behavior!

Yuno's thoughts were on her sister's condition but they did drifted to her brother as well, she never seen her brother act like that before. Usually he would just stay silent and just take what they told him. He's never acted this confident or had this aura that made you want to submit. Whatever brought on this change in her brother…?

She wanted to see it once more and then destroy it as she punishes her brother for treating her and her sister like that.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

….

….

Deep within a sewer, a sealed gate was there. Behind the bars and the paper seal on the said bars was a great fox creature. Orange fur with nine tails swaying, its red eyes opened once it felt a strange source of power outside and in front of one of its jailors.

What was that menacing aura that his hosts sibling brought out? It felt like nothing the fox has ever felt before, and yet… it was frightening. That's saying much if it frightens it. The real question would be where did its pathetic host's brother gain that sort of power?

If it found the source of the boy's power then maybe, just maybe, with this power, it could be free from these two disgusting, disrespecting brats and be free once again.

All he wanted was to be free and followed in his father's dreams. Sighing it decided to sleep and think about its thoughts another time. The fox closed its eyes once more to sleep.

" Hello," It opened its eyes once it heard a voice that shouldn't be there with it.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Minato looked out the window, looking over the village from his view of the Hokage Tower.

"Sir?"

Turning around to address the person in his office. It was a young man standing in front of his desk. He had messy, chin-length red-brown hair with bangs, he had red eyes as well. He wears a cream long-sleeve trench coat with several buttons, a red shirt underneath and black pants that to go along with the colour of his shirt. He also wears a brown belt and has a small pouch which is strapped to his left side. He wore fingerless black gloves with metal plating on the back of his hand, he had black Sealed shinobi sandals.

"Yes, Arashi-san?" he asked the now named Arashi, who closed his note book in his hands and placed it in his pouch.

"Will that be all Hokage-sama? I would like to continue my search of intel for this Trickster…."

What many knew was that the young man before Minato was Arashi Yamashiro, a well known detective and son of Takeshi Yamashiro, a detective shinobi that died in the Kyuubi Attack twelve years ago and Arakio Yamashiro, a Anbu Captain who died on a mission ten years ago. He now lives with his uncle on his mother's side, Arashu Hikari, who is the warden of the Kohona prison and also part of IT&T.

Arashi has become a great detective after his father that have solved shinobi cases that most couldn't. He's very popular, if you have a case that needs solving then he's your guy.

Though the reason he's with the Hokage is that, for the last two months there's been theft by the thief named Trickster. He's been stealing from quite a few shinobi and civilians, and managed to escape arrest from his shinobi and anbu.

So he's called in Arashi's services to help with finding out who this thief truly is and what his motives are.

"Yes.. that'll be all , Yamashiro-san" he said. Arashi nodded before leaving through the office doors.

"siiigh.." he let out, thinking back two months before, just after his talk with Naruto and his outburst.

 **[Flashback]**

Downstairs in the living room Minato appears out of a yellow flash with his wife walking in just in time to see him.

"Kushina, have you seen Naruto?"

"I don't know I was out back helping Kitami and Yuno hone their skills. Why? Has something happened to him?"

"I removed him from jail again tonight."

"Again?" She said with a sigh following afterwards.

"I swear that boy is becoming nothing but trouble with all those pranks he pulls around the village like how he painted the Hokage Faces and blamed Kitami and Yuno for it."

Who by the way were the real ones behind said event and blamed their older brother.

"Not to mention all of the fights he started with some of the boys from the academy. You should have just left him in that cell, Minato. Teach him a lesson."

"He wanted me to leave him…"

"What…?"

"He wanted to stay. He may have not said it but he didn't have to... The way he looked at me with those cold eyes full of nothing but hatred when I came to release him. He said…"

"He said…?" Kushina asked.

"That I wasn't his father…and that you're not his mother…that he wasn't our son...That we weren't his family." Minato said closing his eyes shut, Kushina gasps.

Kushina knew that Minato was right as most of their attention was on their very own daughters and barely any on Naruto, who they were supposed to be caring for as their very own.

"What do we do?" Kushina asked.

"We start acting as the parents we should have been from the very beginning." Minato said with fire in his eyes.

"I'll start teaching him in Chakra control!" Kushina said with a smile on her face.

"I'll teach him the Rasengan!" Minato said.

"Are you sure about that?"

"I am sure and maybe throw in the Shadow Clone jutsu." He said with new inegor.

Sadly, that very night when they were thinking of bringing their son back into the family and paying attention to him, is the night that Naruto left their home. They wouldn't find this out until the next day.

 **[Flashback End]**

Minato winced remembering that night and how Kushina broke down once they found out he was gone. Ever since that night and the day after, he's been searching for him to bring him back home, He hasn't had any leads except for one from Itachi.

'Your son lives in a apartment, that I do know. Where? I don't know for the life of me,' He said to him.

"sigh…..where are you Naruto?"

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

After that run-in with his siblings, Naruto decided to head down to that weapon store that Itachi's was talking about from one of their talks before heading over to his haven. He might as well, since he needed a new weapon and something else to replace his shurikens since from the times he's entered the palace.

They. Do. Absolute. SHIT! Against the shadows, which he learned were called from Inari, besides that he was running out of them. He needed a sidearm that he could use for long range, if not a better main weapon to use than a kunai.

Walking through the village and ignoring his persona's comments on certain corrupted people they passed by, he made it to the store.

Inside, the main floor of the shop was rack upon rack of swords. Katana, Ninjatō, Nodachi, Tantō, Yoroidōshi, Wakizashi, Chokutō, Kodachi, Tachi and even a handful of Zanbatō were literally filling the room.

A long counter at the back of the room was loaded up with kunai and shuriken, ninja wire and soldier pills of all kinds. A girl who was only a year or so older than Naruto sat behind the counter polishing a Kodachi. She had brown hair done up in a pair of buns on her head, steel grey eyes and wore a pink top. A hitai-ate was tied around her head to signify her status as a shinobi of Konohagakure.

"Ah? Welcome to Higurashi Weapons and Ninja Apparels." the girl placed the blade on the counter when she noticed Naruto looking around.

He looked familiar, wasn't he the Hokage's son? She remembers him, didn't she see him walking behind the Namikazes with that look of dejection and sadness _… ' did he really do all that just to get their attention? It does seems to be a good reason for him to do that. Or were those just really rumors? I mean he doesn't looked like he would do that but then again look underneath the underneath….'_ She thought from what she knew and hearing from the villagers as she did missions.

Feeling a gaze on him, Naruto turned to Tenten staring at him with that same looked that he's seen from others who either heard the rumors or were the ones that blamed him like his sisters.

"Sigh…...from the looks of it, you're probably thinking that I'm just like what the rumors say," He said surprising her. He sighed once again. "I guess I should have known, you're just like everyone else," he said, turning away from her, not seeing her wince with a look of guilt as he began to wander the store to look for a new weapon.

Tenten felt guilty. From what he just said, it shows that those rumors aren't true. The amount of hope gleaming in his eyes, were quickly crushed the moment he caught her thinking if he was just like the rumors made him out to be. That alone made her wince.

She kept thinking over and over of what Naruto said to her, thinking that she was just like the rest of the villagers. It hurts, yet she couldn't blame him since she was thinking the rumors were true.

' _I thought I wasn't like everyone else after Lee but I did the same again and thought he was just like what I heard. Siiiigh I need to stop listening to the words of others and guessing on appearances.'_ She mentally said, feeling guilty.

While Naruto left Tenten to her thoughts, he went over looking for a weapon to use. He wasn't that picky but he was looking for one that could work in close-quarters for him.

Looking through the store's selection of weapons, Naruto searched for a suitable one for himself. Tantos, kodachis, ninjatos, katanas, kusarigamas, short swords, long swords, trench knives, gauntlets, spears, bo-staffs, hell even bats and steel nunchucks.

"Is there anything they _don't_ sell here?," He deadpanned, looking past the kusarigamas. He suddenly stopped, having sensed someone behind him.

Turning around to see Tenten again, she looked at him with nervously and guilt filled eyes.

"What do you want? Are you here to make sure I don't steal anything?" he questions, expecting her to think he would do that.

To his surprise, Tenten shook her head no with a sad smile. " No, that's not it. You're looking for a weapon right?" she asked him, Naruto nodded hesitatingly not trusting her. You can't blame him after so many times of being framed by others.

"Yeah….?" He replied, looking at her suspiciously.

"Allow me to help you then" she said taking a look at him, getting a little close as she looked over his arms and build.

' _Getting a bit too close for my freaking sake!,'_ he mentally shouted in his mind, for a moment he could hear Inari chuckling at his dismay. Hell he could also hearing Pyro Jake laughing as well. _' not funny you guys!,'_

Tenten finally backed away from him in thought _. ' his body is well built and maintain from training it, he seems to have more strength in his legs meaning he's a sprinter and very fast. He seems to favor speed over power, meaning he'll need a quick weapon. Something light and yet durable, perhaps two of them if he prefers to fight with both hands.'_ She thought after processing his body built.

Opening her eyes, she called out to him.

"Ok! Please follow me. I think I know what you can use." Naruto nodded and followed her to a display of trench knives, chakra blades and ninjatos.

Seeing a wide variety of ones to choose from, he was curious as to why he was brought here. "Here it is," said Tenten as she brought out a black case, opening it revealed a beautiful ninjato blade.

Crafted in a unique design as the ways of a long-forgotten tribe, the knife features a full-tang blade crafted of hefty black carbon steel sharpened to a fierce point, Naruto hoped it was good against shadows skulls or demons he'll face. The slip-resistant rubberized handle provides the wielder with a mighty grip, the ferocious point of the knife 16-5/8" blade allows for deep penetration. The blade can be carried the on his belt using the included reinforced nylon belt sheath. It measures 24" in overall length.

"Whoa…" Naruto whispered taking the knife into his hands, taking a few swings with it. It felt wonderful in his grip. Turning to Tenten, he had a small smile on his face.

"It's perfect… I'll take it." She nodded happily, both them went back to the counter at the back of the room.

Placing the ninjato in its sheath on the counter. Naruto went back to grab a few more shurikens and kunai as well.

" For the ninjato, it will be fifty thousand ryou and for the two extra sets of kunai and shuriken will one thousand ryou for both, so in all it'll be fifty two thousand ryou," she said. Naruto takes out his wallet and paid her with the money he earned by helping the villagers that didn't believe in the rumors or knew him personally.

After handing the money over to Tenten, he picked up the ninjato and attached it to his belt. He sealed away the kunai and shurikens in a scroll. He was then about to walked out of the store but…

"Wait!" he stopped, hearing the voice call out to him. He turned to looked at Tenten, who looked nervous.

"I… I wanted to say, I'm sorry... for thinking that you were anything like the rumors and believing them as well…" she fidgeted while looking down at her hands, Naruto raised an eyebrow at this.

" I did it before with my teammate, he couldn't do ninjutsu or genjutsu … so I thought he wasn't meant to be a shinobi but he proved me wrong with becoming a shinobi that could only use taijustu…" she revealed to him. Naruto looked at Tenten, said girl looking worried as he stared at her in thought.

"….No need to" he said surprising her, she looked at him in surprise and confusion.

" You already proved to me that you're not like the others when you came to help me find a weapon. I hope to be seeing you when I come back here," he said with a smile, she nodded at him with a matching smile. Naruto then turned to leave.

"Thank you for your purchase and please use Higurashi's for all your Ninja Tool needs." Tenten rattled off on automatic. She then suddenly remembered that she didn't know where he lived so she couldn't deliver the extra sets.

" Wait! Naruto, could you write down your address here so I can deliver the rest of your order." She asked, Naruto once again stopping in his tracks before walking back and wrote down his and Itachi's address, handing it to her. He left with his new ninjato attached to his waist, happy.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

" **...Where am I?"** growled the gigantic fox, staring around the velvet color of the room it found itself in, the room seemed to be just an office of an museum. It wasn't sure how it ended up here, one moment it was in its hosts seal about to sleep but now it's here instead.

"Welcome to my Velvet Room, Kurama Ōtsutsuki, Kyuubi no Yoko," Said a voice down in front of it, looking down to see a youngman wearing a black turtleneck shirt and black pants fastened by a belt, he wore a white blazer over the turtleneck.

He wore a butterfly wing mask is that seemed three-dimensional and has been placed to the left side of his face and has been recolored orange. The bottom right side of his mask exposes his face with his pupils are visible through the mask's eyeholes. His hair is colored a dark burgundy shade and in a short ponytail.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," He said.

The fox stared at the human. No... not human. It could feel its power, the overbearing presence that this being holds.

" **What are you? You don't feel anything like a ningen. In fact, the opposite with all that power you exude,"** It growled at Philemon.

Philemon simply chuckled at the gigantic fox.

"He he he, what am I? That is very shrew question Kurama, but you are correct that I am not human. I am Philemon, a dweller in the rift between consciousness and unconsciousness of all souls and the master of this room," he said, Kurama eyes narrowed at Philemon.

" **How do you me and my name? No one knows other than my own siblings, and even they wouldn't tell you,"** Kurama growled once again at Philemon, watching him.

"That's an answer for another conversation," he said staring at the Biju. "what exactly I'm here for, is to make a deal with you for your freedom, if you accept,"

He offered the kitsune. Kurama looked at Philemon, a bit taken back from what he just said. It wasn't sure what to expect out of this deal, it wasn't even sure what of Philemon.

" **What do you get out this?,"** it questions, wanting to know what this being Philemon wants, having absolutely no trust toward him.

Philemon chuckled, as if he had just heard a rather hilarious joke. " What do I get out of this? All I want to see is humanity's unlimited potential…"

Kurama narrows its eyes at Philemon's proclamation **. "Then why come to me? If that's what you truly desire? I have nothing but hatred for them. What's your angle?"** it said, once again not believing Philemon's words.

Philemon was quiet, not saying a single syllable. His frozen gaze never leaving from the kitsune before he spoke. " I am not playing any angles. There are greater forces like myself out there Kurama. Some of which that would love to see the destruction of humanity, along with the rest of this world, or even throw it into madness. My 'angle', as you put it, is to give humanity a chance to release their full potential, to stand up to these threats. I come to you because I see the same potential that all of what humanity has as well. Besides...I do believe the sage of six paths wouldn't let humanity or this world he help created be destroyed," He stated.

...

...

Kurama was speechless, it didn't know what to say. Others like him? That want destruction? So many questions swirled in its mind but one did shine through its mind the most. This... Philemon knew the old man. He talked about what he knew and wanted for the humans...

Thinking back to the old man that created it and it's siblings, he was a kind man that wanted the best for this world and it's inhabitants...

Maybe...Maybe Philemon was onto something...

Plus, it wouldn't hurt to be free once again from this damned seal.

Kurama looked back to Philemon, he stood there the same way. Arms behind back staring at it with a sense of aloof and calmness.

" What is your decision Kurama?," He asked the fox.

 **"What will I have to do if I agree? And if I do this deal with you... You have to promise to get me out of this accursed seal,"** It said to Philemon.

"All you need to do is help a young new fool on his journey, that's all I ask and in return I'll make it so you won't be sealed ever again," he stated to the Biju.

 **" You swear?"**

"Yes," he said without a second thought, holding out his hand towards the fox.

Kurama held out its finger and they shook on it.

"Now, please hold still. This may be slightly uncomfortable," Philemon said, overwhelming power leaked out like an open faucet.

"Let's begin."

XOXOXOXXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Naruto walked along the walls of the Kurama manor, taking out from his pocket an odd-looking L-shaped weapon.

It was a gun, a handgun from what the blueprints he found by the maps and documents he stole from the hokage tower called it. He found the maps and documents by complete mistake when he was looking for files on a corrupted jounin shinobi.

The information he gained from the documents and the blueprints made these weapons dangerous, he couldn't have them found by anyone like Minato, or god forbid Danzo.

The old war hawk would probably mass produce them and create a fourth shinobi war with them. He made sure to hid the blueprints in his belongings in a scroll.

Naruto managed to create this gun along with a few others but they weren't suitable for him, so he kept the handgun with him for now. He placed it back in his pocket before looking at his waist to check his Ninjatō to see it secured as well.

Pulling up his wrist to see the same app that he now knew was called the metaverse app from Igor on NinjaTech. Looking around to see if anyone was near, he then activated the app as the surrounding area became the familiar sinful distortion of the Kurama palace.

"welp…time to find that heart," he said, back in his thief outfit once again.

 _ **[ don't worry partner, your well prepare for this and besides you have me and Jack with you this time]**_ Hearing his persona's voice reassures him that he'll do better this time then the last time he was here.

Seeing the drawbridge, he ran through into the castle once more.

….

….

A figure walked up to the castle entrance.

" Tch… so this is where the brat went off to huh?" the figure stated, checking out the castle.

"better go make sure he doesn't get himself killed for nothing then," with that the figure walked into the castle as well.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

 **Well that's done! Whew! That took for so long to get done, though I'm glad it is. Honestly I was saving this for after updating one of the** _ **Phantom Streamer**_ **series but thanks to KurokamiRyuuzaki100 I was able to flesh it out a bit more than I thought.**

 **Though after this now I'm gonna update another of my stories and maybe post a new one either this month or the next.**

 **Here's Naruto's persona and acquired one as well.**

 **Inari:**

 **Lvl:10**

 **Spells: Garu, Megaru, Eiha, Cleave (Light Damage**

 **Skills: Regeneration +1 (increases each time after significant amount of training and experience), Blinding Flash (Inflict Med Dizzy), Heat Riser (Increase Attack, Defense, and Agility), (Ma)Sakunda (Decrease Enemies' Agility), Tetraja (Shield against curse and/or bless)**

 **Stats: Strong/Resistant against Wind, Strong/Resistant against Curse/Dark, Weak against Fire, Strong/Resistant against Bless/Light**

 **Pyro Jack:**

 **Lvl:7**

 **Spells: Agi, Meagi, Lunge (Light Damage),**

 **Skills: Charge (Multiply user's physical attack), Concentrate (multiply user's magical attack), Dia (Heal),**

 **Stats: Absorbs Fire, Weak against Ice, Weak against Gun**

 **And here's his links/vows:**

 **Naruto Uzumaki**

 **Magician - ?**

 **Priestess - ?**

 **Empress – ?**

 **Emperor - Itachi Uchiha Lvl/Rank 1**

 **Hierophant - ?**

 **Lover - ? ?**

 **Chariot - ?**

 **Justice - ?**

 **Hermit - ?**

 **Fortune - ?**

 **Strength - ?**

 **Hangman - ?**

 **Death - ?**

 **Temperance - ?**

 **Devil - ?**

 **Tower - ?**

 **Star - ?**

 **Moon - ?**

 **Well I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Farewell for now, I've got hearts to steal. Speedy24 signing off.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone how are you guys? I'm back with another chapter of R** **eflection of a Cracked Mask. To those who were waiting patiently, here's your new chapter. it took some time since some things came up and I had to rewrite certain parts of the chapter but in the end, its finished. anything you guys wished to ask please leave in your reviews.**

* * *

" **Thou art I** _ **"**_ Persona speech

" _ **Thou art I**_ " persona thought

[Suiton: Suiryudan] jutsu release

"Persona!" normal speak

" _What?_ " thought/mind speak

" **Maragi** **!"** demon/Shadow

Chapter 4: Finding your path.

This time was different than last time. He was here instead of wandering, sticking to each corner and wall of the interior of the palace. Making sure to stay hidden from the shadows that patrol the halls.

"Hmph... To think I cluelessly walked in here last time," he whispered, as he was against a corner. He saw four shapes that looked like jounin were in a group talking.

 **"Seen anything?"** Asked Shadow #1, getting a few shakes of the heads.

 **"Nothing, no intruders at all,"** Shadow #2 said. **"What's the point? The only thing worth looking after is the girl,"** Shadow #3 stated, getting nods of agreement.

 _'Girl?'_ Trickster thought, hearing them talked about someone else in this palace.

 _ **[It must be the pure heart I sensed before. It seems that one of these guards know where she is kept? Pay attention, you might hear some more important details and then tail them to her!]**_ Inari said to Trickster.

 _'Right'_ he thought as he maneuvered closer to hear more of the shadows conversation, he was able to listen on from above them.

 **"The elder wants her to be locked away safely for later use against the Hokage,"** Shadow #4 stated, the others nodding in agreement. This one having a flak vest with the Kurama family symbol, it must be a higher rank and stronger than the others.

' _To use against the Hokage?'_

Trickster didn't have a good opinion of his father, in fact, he hated the man but he was a very strong Hokage that this village needed even if it was rotten to the core. Whatever the ruler of this palace had in mind, he was going to throw a wrench into it and have fun doing it; but first, he needs to find that girl and get her out of here.

 **"Right... We should head back to our posts then and our patrols"** Shadow #1 said.

 **"Back to work and your posts!"** Shadow #4 shouted and left while the other three went back to where they were originally.

Trickster, who was above merely chuckled lightly as he followed the remaining one with the Kurama symbol.

 _ **[It seems that one might be the one we need to follow to find the girl, partner]**_

Eyeing the shadow, Trickster followed it, always keeping out of sight of it and the others that he passed by.

Seeing paintings lining the walls each with a ...twisted look if you could say, the shadow stopped itself in front of a pair of extravagant doors.

 **"Princess! I've come to collect your paintings for the elder!"** It bellowed, opening the doors inward. Trickster saw this as his chance to enter undetected, quickly sneaking in by the doors and shadow, he hid behind some bookshelves.

The room was what one expected of an heiress, wide and huge. Though it was littered with paintings, paint, ink, canvases everywhere. He could see a queen size bed with a few other items, there in the middle of the room was a young girl about a year younger than him.

She had long silky brown hair with light brown eyes that held a deep sadness in them. She was wearing a lavender kimono with a sash at the waist. She sat there on her seat, painting something new onto the canvas before her.

She stopped painting, turning to the shadow, she layed down her brush.

" **Princess Yakumo, I am here to deliver your newest set of paintings to the elder,"** it said with no emotion.

She moved from the one she was painting, the shadow took a look and nods at it. Picking it up along with the few others by the doors, it then proceeds to leave the room, leaving Yakumo and still hiding Trickster alone.

The doors closed behind it as it left, the young girl brought over a new canvas and starts to paint once again.

Watching her paint, Trickster move silently.

 _ **[This is the pure heart, partner]**_ commented Inari.

Now at a different angle, he could see what she was painting. Trickster's eyes widen, it was him in the exact spot he was hiding, only chained up as well.

' _What the hell-?_ ' When all of a sudden he was chained up. He was then pulled to the wall behind him.

"Gah!" The chains tied around his midsection, hands, and feet to the wall.

The girl got up from her seat and walked up to the chained up Trickster, she got a closer look at him. Trickster, himself was trying his best to figure a way out, though he was also feeling nervous with the way she was getting close to him.

 _ **[Well I have to admit... This is a fine predicament you got yourself in, partner.]**_ Mused, feeling his partner's frustration, anxiety with some embarrassment. _'Not now Inari!'_

"Who are you? And how did you get here?" She demanded, her prying eyes, trying to find his intentions. Her chains kept him immobile and restricted his body of escaping.

"You know I might get the wrong idea with how you're glaring at me with these chains. I might start to think you're a sadist or something. All your missing is a whip" he joked, Yakumo blinked at what he said.

"I mean, tying me up with these chains and with how you have me restricted from moving, which is quite painful you know. Should I be worried?" He teased, chuckling at seeing her face turn several shades of red, blushing as she denies what he's accusing her of.

"Aww you're turning red, that's adorable" he teased her, as she stuttered.

"S-shut up! I'm not!" she shot back.

"Yeah, you are, I can see that you're blushing" he teased, chuckling at seeing her deny what he's accusing her of.

 _ **[Partner I believe that's enough. You're acting a lot like your sisters right now.]**_ Inari stated, knocking some sense back into Trickster.

' _Ah... shit I was, wasn't I? Sorry about that Inari'_

 _ **[It's alright partner, though you might want to take this chance to escape, the chains are weakening right now]**_ Inari was right as the chains binding him were fading in and out, quickly with his strength. He broke through the chains and landed on the ground from the wall. Yakumo was taken back, not expecting her genjutsu to fail.

"Well now… let's talk" he said walking forward while rubbing his wrists and his neck. Yakumo wasn't sure what to do, he broke her genjutsu. She ran back to her bed to get her sketch pad she had hidden there, with that she could quickly create another genjutsu that he wouldn't be able to break.

"Kyaaa!" she screams as Trickster appeared in front of her in an instant. He slapped his hands over her mouth, silencing her. She looked into his eyes as he did this; his eyes were mesmerizing, with how deep they gleamed to her.

"I'm gonna move my hand and when I do, you're not gonna scream... Okay?" he said to her as she nodded slowly.

"Good" removing his hand from her mouth, she kept quiet.

"Alright… like I said before. Let's talk. I'll ask a question and you'll ask one. Seems fair right?" he asked as she nods once more.

"Alright I'll go first. Do you know where you are?" Trickster asked Yakumo.

She looked at him weirdly, not expecting that question. " We're in the Kurama clan manor aren't we?" she answered, a bit confused by his question. Trickster gave her a blank stare while inside, he was confused.

' _What? She doesn't know where she truly is does she?'_

 _ **[ Naruto, she must've been brought into this palace by another means if she doesn't know where she's in right now.]**_

' _I see that, but what I really wanna know, is_ how _did she get here?'_

 _ **[Your guess is as good as mine, partner, but now's not really the time. If something's truly amiss, then that's more than enough of a reason for us to help get her out of here.]**_ Naruto nodded, before looking at her.

"Ýakumo you're not in the Kurama clan manor" he said, making her get suspicious of him, and what does he mean that she isn't in her clan manor?

"What do you mean by that, it's obvious that we are." She stated, making Trickster roll his eyes and sighed.

"Oh yeah? Then what was that, that came in and took your painting?" he asked.

"That was a Kurama clan member."

Trickster shot her a look before he corrected her. "That wasn't a member of your clan… that was a shadow, Yakumo." He told her, hoping that she believed him since it seems she's been sheltered ever since her last try at being a shinobi.

"A… shadow? What are you saying thief!?" she shouted, not believing what he was saying, standing up from her seat. Trickster stared at her unflinching while she looked at him angrily, fearful and confused.

"What… I'm saying is that you're not where you think you are." he stood up, not once did his gaze left her eyes. "If you don't be believe me then why don't you come with me? I can show you what kind of place you're truly in.' offering her his hand.

Yakumo stared at the gesture.

She didn't know what was going on. Was what he was saying true? Or what is just a ploy to trick her and kidnap her? She didn't know and she was sure if it was a good decision to accept….but...

She wants to know what he meant, she wants to know what's really going on, she wants to know what she is involved in.

…

…..

….

The door to Yakumo's room opened, Trickster coming out with Yakumo behind him. She was following him as he looked around for any shadows; he gestured for her to follow him as they navigate through the halls.

' _Well part one is accomplished, now part two is getting the hell out of here…'_

 _ **[Well good luck with that one, partner, once they found out that you've 'stolen' their heir.]**_ Inari commented, making Trickster roll his eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time, but he was right.

Trickster then froze, Yakumo bumping into his back. She looked at him before she looked over his shoulder to see two shadows coming their way.

She panicked seeing them, she looked at Trickster hoping for an answer.

' _Shit!'_

 _ **[Partner! The door to your right! Go into it!]**_

' _What?!'_

 _ **[Trust me!]**_ He heard his persona pleaded, before doing as he was told. He grabbed Yakumo and dashed into the room.

Closing the door behind them, Trickster had his head against the door. He heard footsteps nearing the door as Yakumo held her breath. They were getting closer and closer.

….

….

The footsteps passed by, getting farther and farther. Trickster let out a sigh of relief, Yakumo letting out a breath that she was holding.

"Why didn't they find us in here?" she asked, the shadow must've of seen them. So why didn't it opened the door?

"I'm not sure…" he was confused as well but he wasn't one to look a gifted horse in the mouth. "….But for now we should wait for the rest to past before moving on." He said, Yakumo nodding at his judgement.

While they waited, Trickster asked his persona about the reason the shadows didn't opened the door and enter.

' _Inari?'_

 _ **[Yes?]**_ The Fox God responded.

' _Why didn't the shadows come into this room?'_

 _ **[That's simple partner. They don't enter safe rooms like the one that you two reside in right now.]**_

' _Safe rooms?'_

 _ **[They're rooms where the shadows won't enter,**_ _]_ Inari explained. _**[There's a lack of distortion here, meaning that the ruler's control over the area's weak.]**_ Just as he said that, the room showed a glimpse of the real world's room, only to turn back again. Yakumo jumped in shock, the room for a moment looked like a guest room. [ _ **See what I mean?]**_

' _The… distortion is weak here?'_

 _ **[Remember what I told you before? Anything can be distorted according to how a ruler pleases with his palace. In order to withstand such distortion, one must hold a strong will of rebellion against it.]**_ Inari gestured to him and Yakumo. _**[In this case, that means you and possibly her. The clothes you have on? It's the manifestation of rebellion within your heart, this allows you to move and do as you please in this palace… don't forget that.]**_

This left Trickster with some questions as he thought back to what he has learned from both Inari and Igor about palaces and distortions…

[Some minutes later]

Coming out of the room, Trickster and Yakumo moved out of sight as they see no shadows on patrol. Following up on this, Trickster is using the map of the area that he found during his travel inside the palace before he looked for Yakumo, guaranteeing that he knows he was going the right way. During navigating and protecting Yakumo through the hallways and corridors, he even had to fight a few shadows and demons to continue and avoid their capture.

Right now they were hiding behind some statues of Yakumo's clan members while some male and female shadow gathered. Trickster looked over his shoulder to hear closer.

" **Have any of you found princess Yakumo?!"** Shadow #1 asked, getting shakes of heads, she only sighed. **"Negative, no sighting of her. She has disappeared."** Shadow #2 said, rubbing his neck.

" **We must find her for the elder!"** said Shadow # 3, they all nodded that he was right. For their elder, they needed to find her again and bring her back to her room. Unfortunately as Trickster was still listening in, Yakumo had some dust near her as she breathed out, it flew into her face causing her to cough loudly. Trickster froze as they turned his way, he ducked quickly to avoid them seeing him but that was all for naught as they heard yakumo coughing some more, with Trickster having to pat her back.

" **The intruders!"** They heard as Trickster dashed right out of their cover and ran while he carried Yakumo away from the shadows. Remembering that there should be a door leading to what he can guess and hope to be another safe room close by, he took a right at the fork of the corridor, only to be meet with a couple other shadows.

' _Shit!'_

" **Hold! Intruder! Release the princess!"** The shadows ordered him.

Their exit blocked off by shadows, Naruto and Yakumo turned to go back the way they came only for that way to be blocked off as well.

' _Shit! We're trapped like rats!'_

 _ **[Partner looks like you have no choice but to fight. Get ready!]**_ Inari warned him.

 _ **[We got your back pal!]**_ Pyro Jack added as well.

"Yakumo, stay behind me," he told her. Naruto got in front of Yakumo, covering her from the shadows, he readied his Ninjatō for a fight.

" **Hmph! Do you really think you'll be able to defeat us all intruder?"** The shadow leader saidas the other shadows got closer.

Trickster held out his Ninjato as he channel his wind chakra into it." Well there's only one way to find out." He said as he dashed at the group of shadows, throwing a couple shurikens with wind chakra channeled through them.

While the shurikens were being parried, Naruto took this chance to slash at the others with his Ninjato, seeing that it wasn't working.

 **[That's not going to work, partner! You have to tear off their masks!]** Inari advise the blonde Fool, as Naruto nodded. Leaping onto one of the shadows' shoulders, he quickly gripped the its mask and tore it off its face. Its body as well the other shadows all spasmed before exploding in a gush of red and black, revealing a tall, intimidating monster with pale magenta skin with an club like blade. The other shadows became figures with red skin and huge blades in their hands with hateful purple eyes. One lone shadow, the leader, didn't change at all. It just stood back as the demons glared at Trickster.

' _Inari? Care to identify?'_ he asked his partner persona on what he's up against now, since he was going at five huge demons now.

 **[One Sui-Ki, along with four lesser demons of the same type, Oni. I'd be careful with fighting the Sui-Ki, since their hits really do pack a punch, especially to a meat bag like you]**

' _Geez, thanks for the boost of confidence partner. Anything else?'_ he asked only getting a **'No'** from his persona.

Before he could say anything, the Oni came at him from both sides and brought their blades down to cleave at his flesh, but he braced his weapon and blocked the attacks with some difficulty. Channeling chakra into his blade, Naruto brought the sword upward and cut through one of the Oni before slamming it down on yet another one; he then flashed through some handsigns..

["Wind Style: Great Breakthrough Jutsu!"] He shouted as he breathed a huge blast of air towards them, before tossing a few kunai with exploding tags. "Kai!"

The exploding tags detonated within the wind, causing the wind to funnel into the fire of the explosion, growing even bigger before it consumed the Oni.

Trickster was breathing heavily; he turned his attention to the two Oni's rushing towards him.

The first one reaching him swung its blade, while the other Oni hit one of the piles of rubble and sent chunks of stones pillars at Trickster. He was forced to be pummeled by the stone rubble and the blade wielding Oni tried to stab at him through the distraction. Blocking the blade with his ninjato, Trickster crushed his mask quickly. Summoning Inari to his aide, the Fox God swiped at the oni with the ends of his tails, brushing the oni and dealing some damage to it.

This allowed Trickster to use his ninjato and quickly thrusted it into the Oni, with wind chakra channeled into the blade once more. The Oni tried to block it, but failed as the blade pierced through its flesh and into its eye, killing .

The remaining demon gave a powerful roar as it swung its club once more, sending an out of breath Trickster stumbling back. He saw the Sui-Ki tense its body as he readied itself for a final lunge. Trickster tried desperately to raise his Ninjato in front of him, but the attack broke through his guard and smashed him into a wall next Yakumo. He gave a pained grunt as he nearly fell over, but managed to remain standing through gritted teeth.

He glared at the Sui-Ki as more shadows came, the leader shadow laughed at him. **"Is this all you have intruder? It's quite pathetic if this is all you can muster."** The leader shadow taunted him, trickster growled.

"Tch… really? This is all you can do, gaki?" said a voice that echoed throughout the hallway. Trickster and Yakumo looked around for the source of the choice, the shadows did as well.

" **Who dares interfere!? Show yourself!"** the leader shadow demanded.

"Hmph! You want to know? I don't have time with you, you spineless vermin." The vice mocked the shadow. Trickster and Yakumo were unsure if this new person was an ally or a threat.

" **How dare you! Come out and show yourself and we'll see who's the vermin!"** the leader shadow bellowed. There was only silence after that, the shadows thought the voice left as did Trickster and Yakumo.

"Hehehe gladly…" the voice said, and then all of a sudden, a blur passed by all the shadows quickly before landing in front of Trickster and Yakumo. All the shadows were then were cut to pieces and were destroyed.

The figure was a bipedal fox with burnt red-orange fur, it had an upper-body structure similar to a human with a large head and eyes, and it had black arm warmers on its arms and a black bandana in addition to having a black utility belt as well. It turned around to look at them, its crimson red eyes staring at them. It didn't have any features that would describe it as either male or female. It even wore a mask over its face and long bunny like ears. The mask was demonic but was incomplete as it only covered its eyes and head. It was split down the middle with one side being white and the other being blood red with black tribal markings.

"What? Never seen a fox before?" IT said with snark to them, clearly annoyed with their stares. Both blinked and then realized that they were staring. They turned away from the fox as it huffed in annoyance before turning back to the shadow.

" **You…how dare you!"** the shadow shouted in anger, to which the fox scoffed at.

"How dare I? Tsk... Hehe. All I did was come out as you asked… what's wrong with that?" the fox chuckled, finding the whole situation hilarious.

 **"Inexcusable bug!"** it roared. **"I'll make you pay for your arrogance!"** the shadow said, then, its body began to spasm. Black liquid poured out through the gaps in the Anbu armor, and out from the mask. Suddenly, the mask shattered, and a writhing mess of black and red exploded out from the golden armor, though rather than spill out in a gory bath, it instead began to gather and form into a physical shape. The mess developed a humanoid form, and extending out from its back looked to be a pair of wings. Something slim extended out from what looked to be its hand. Then, the mass of black and red sank in, and let the body take shape. What stood before them was what could be considered a Tengu, its black wings and staff in hand as it glared down at them. **"The price of your defiance of Elder Unkai...is DEATH!"**

"Hmph! Looks like we'll have to fight," It said as It turned its head towards Trickster.

"Hey! Can you fight?" It called out to him, Trickster nodding. "Good! Cause I'm going to need your help" It said as it draws out its saber-like claws and ready to face the Tengu shadow.

" **You shall face the wrath of the Kurama clan!"** the Tengu bellowed, raising its staff towards them. Trickster joined the fox's side as Yakumo stayed behind.

It turned its attention to the monster before them and a mischievous glint danced in its eyes. "Come on," it taunted, with its claws in the 'come on' motion. "Show me what you got."

The Tengu charged at it, and Inari, emerging out familiar flames, met its charge, stopping it in its tracks. A brilliant light danced around the blade while Inari gathered the same malevolent energy in its claws and around its tails. The two then clashed, and a blinding light engulfed the area, forcing the students to shield their eyes.

As they parted away from one another, the fox attacked the Tengu, it blocking the fox's claws with its staff before gathering wind in its hand. It then summons small tornados to shred the fox but it dodged. As the Tengu was about to attacked again, it got its maks cut through, making it turn to Trickster, who had a smirk as he twirled his ninjato before having it in a reversed grip.

Before it could retort, it was then assaulted by the fox again who was scurrying around, wounding it with its claws. The fox continued its assault on the Tengu with Trickster backing it up with either attacking at its blindspots or having Inari blast it with Garu or Eiha.

" **ENOUGH!"** the Tengu bellowed as it whipped its staff at the fox when they tried to rush it from behind. Sending the fox into a wall next to Yakumo while it flew up above them.

 **"Blade of Fury!"** The Tengu attacked, his staff started to glow a bright whitish blue. Tengu took his weapon with both hands raising it above his head before swinging it down. Hundreds of small crescent shaped blades of light started swirling around everyone, like a bunch of boomerangs being thrown at once.

"Shit! SCATTER!" The fox shouted as they ducked down, nearly getting cut by a few of the blades that went over him.

Both Trickster and Yakumo started dodging blades left and right, but it was like trying to avoid getting hit by rain. A few slices and violent cuts later the attack finally stopped.

Trickster was a bit scuffled while Yakumo was alright. The fox was a bit hurt from their side.

 _ **[Hey! Come on! You have to let me out! You're having so much fun without me boss! Just let me have some fun for a bit!]**_ A voice called out in the fox's head, pleading to him. _'Yeah right! Why should I let you fight my battles? I can handle this on my own!'_ They shot back.

 _ **[No you can't boss! You need me for this fight since you're wounded and I can handle this pathetic crow better than you!]**_

' _Tch you appeared in mind from nowhere! Why should I even trust you?!'_

 _ **[How dense can you be!? Don't you trust yourself? I'm you and you're me! I can only the make mistakes that you make!]**_ That stopped the fox from retorting, how could they get stronger if they didn't believe in themselves.

 _ **[Well? Don't you trust me? Yourself?...]**_ It asked them once again.

'… _.you're me right?'_

 _ **[Yes...]**_

'… _.then don't fuck this up! I'm enjoying my new life too much to consider dying here now! '_ he shouted back to the voice. Raising their head up.

"Come on out!" The fox's voice bellowed. "Jack The Ripper!"

A pillar of blue light engulfed the spot where the fox had stood. Just like before with Trickster, a powerful gust of wind blew through the whole area, causing the stream of water to crash forth into rolling waves. Slowly emerging from the brightness was a humanoid figure as well. But this one was much more slim and sharp than Inari body-wise.

The framework of its body appears almost skeletal with its body mostly hunched forward. Its body was covered in a ragged black cloak that was missing it's right sleeve and covered everything down to its knees, showing thin metallic legs that rounded out at the bottom having no actual feet, instead having three black one and a half foot claws facing forward where it's feet would be.

A black chain as thick as one of the Trickster's forearms was wrapped tightly around Jack's exposed long metallic right arm with sharp spikes at the joints, being gripped in its large clawed hand was a large curved knife. Its left hand was covered by its cloak, but five, six inch long bladed fingers could be seen poking from the sleeve.

Its face had a massive smile full of razor sharp teeth with its face being in two colors left side in pale white and the right in blood red. He had red eyes with black tribal markings on his face with two long twisted horns facing backwards.

 _ **Hahahahaha! Time to face the ripper!**_

Jack rushed the Tengu with abandon glee while it swung its knife at the Tengu, which blocked and parried with its staff.

Sparks flew between the two beings' clash before they parted, and began to strike at one another. Jack the Ripper swung his leg in an attempt to cut off it's wing but was parried by the staff in the Tengu's hand. It knocked Jack the Ripper back before it brought down its staff on its shoulder hard. The staff bashed onto the shoulder, and blue flames burned where the wound was made. The fox suddenly felt pain erupt in their shoulder, letting out a small cry of pain as they grabbed their arm. Jack grabbed the shaft and then pulled the Tengu closed.

 _ **Hahahahahahaha! Time for Jack the Ripper to light it up!**_

Jack pulled and swung the Tengu's staff with it still holding on, into a wall leaving a crater, the Tengu trying to regain its bearings before Jack swung with his knife ferociously at it. It blocked and was pinned by both jack and the wall.

 _ **Hey! Boss light us up! Don't worry about me!**_

"You're nuts!"

 _ **Trust me!**_

Seeing as they had no choice, they took this chance and ran up their persona's back, then jumped off while quickly making hand signs. "Hey kid! If you have any futon justus, use them now!" the fox called out.

Trickster nodded, creating hand signs and gathering his chakra.

" _[Katon:_ _Eikō no Kitsune Jutsu!]"_ The fox yelled out, before breathing out blue flames that spread towards his persona and Tengu.

" _[Futon:_ _Kazeryūdan no Jutsu]"_ Trickster added on, summoning great wind, taking form of a dragon with red eyes before it flew towards the persona and demon.

Both jutsus flew mid-flight and crashed into one another, blending into a huge magnificent beast of blue brilliant flames heading towards Jack and the demon.

" _[Konbijutsu:_ _Sōdaina Honō no Kiba!]"_ They shouted in unison as the blue flames beast drove and nailed itself into them. The beast erupting into an inferno of blue flames that engulf them.

The fox slightly flinched a few times as the smell of burnt fur came off them. When the flames died down all that remained was Jack the Ripper and a charred body of the Tengu.

The fox looked at his persona, who, if he could, would grin smugly at him.

 **Told you, boss, to trust me! We're mostly fireproof!**

"Yeah…emphasis on 'mostly' fireproof" the fox shot back as his persona disappeared. They all walked up to the dying demon that lay before them on the ground.

" **How could I, one of the elder's strongest servants, lose to such vermin?"**

"We're vermin? We're not the one who's dying now, are we?" commented the fox.

The shadow fell back, officially being killed, as it disappeared into the air.

"Great! Now that the fucking crow's dead, let's get going! You two follow me!" the fox commanded only to see the other two watching him. "...Why are you still standing there, I'm telling you to come on!"

"...Who the hell are you?" Trickster asked the fox. He was suspicious of it as it came out of nowhere. Was it watching them? Or was it simply one of the shadow s that reside here?

 _ **[ That notion can't be true since it summoned a persona, then again anything can happen here in the Metaverse and inside a palace if the ruler decides so]**_ his persona spoke to him in his mind, he nodded. He'll need to be weary of it until he could find a reason to trust it.

"Tch! Are you really asking me that now? We need to leave before any more of those shadows come and catches us, they're already looking for her you know" the fox said, Yakumo flinched when it gestured to her.

"Yeah well, I rather know who's trying to lead us through here than be led into either an ambush or getting backstabbed." He said, analysing the fox before him. He doesn't know why, but somehow he couldn't shake off this sort of... familiarity that he's feeling with it. Like whenever he was with his sisters or his moth- Kushina.

"Arg, and here I thought someone like you wouldn't be so closed minded!" It said, throwing Trickster off that statement..

"What the hell did you just say!?" he wasn't closed minded! Wait... someone like him? How does this fox know him? He then stared at the fox that was glaring at him.

"How do you know me? I don't know you...yet, for some reason, you seem to be familiar with me... I would've l know if I met someone like you." he said with some questioning and suspicious feeling behind his voice. Yakumo looked between them but stayed closed to Trickster.

"Hmph, kit, all I know of you is what I could see behind that annoying kami damn cage and bars! Besides that, was all that I could've seen." the fox said as they looked at it.

Cage? Behind bars? Wait that sounds similar to Inari. _**[That it does partner but think. What else could be behind bars and a cage besides me?]**_

What else? His mind flashed back to when Minato told the others about him housing the...Kyuubi…

"No…." he whispered as it all came together to him at that moment.

"It's you…." He said, gaining Yakumo's attention as the fox stared at him as well. The very reason that he was hated besides Minato's fuck up was standing right before him.

"Heh… so you finally remembered and found me out huh?" It said with a bit of amusement in its voice.

"Umm… Trickster…?" Yakumo called out to him, pulling on his shoulder a bit. " Who is this exactly?" she asked him.

Trickster looked at her before staring back at the fox. "Tch...To think that this one would be here of all places...so it is you...the Kyuubi no Yoko… the fox that attacked our village so long ago" he said as Yakumo's eyes widen at his words before she stared at the fox before them with some fear.

"The….Kyuubi" she whispered.

"Yeah…. The real question is why is he here and what's he doing in this palace" said Trickster as he fixed it with a glare, his hands on his weapons.

The fox just snorted before giving him a look. "Look yeah I'm the Kyuubi but that's not important alright? We can talk about this later; right now we need to leave before any more of those shadows show up." He said but Trickster wasn't budging." Look I know you're pissed at me about something, but can you stop being so fucking hostile!? I'm not going to do anything. Besides you want to keep her safe right?" Trickster stares back Yakumo, who was by his side before he looked back at the fox.

"The follow me then." It said.

"Why should we follow you though?" Trickster said in a tone indicating that he didn't trust kyuubi. While it was mostly the cause of all the hatred directed him from everybody in his 'home', he's more focused on a different matter.

"What?"

"Why should we follow you? We don't even know you and you expect us to follow you? So why? For all we know, you could be working for the elder guy in charge of this place and just be acting like an ally" Trickster said, not very trusting of the fox before him. Yakumo is still staying behind him as both the fox and Trickster stare each other down.

"Really? You're doubting me? Don't you trust me?"

"You haven't given us a reason **to** trust you at all..." he stated, his eyes narrowing at the fox before them.

The fox glares at them, making Yakumo flinching. It then let out a sigh, away from them before it turned to them.

"Look, I helped save your asses, right? Then just give me the benefit of a doubt. I'd help even if I didn't want or need to" It stated, making Trickster scowled at it.

Before Trickster could say anything, Yakumo grabbed his arm and shook her head." He's telling the truth, Trickster… he did help us..." She said, making him scoff but he looked away as she walked up to the fox.

"I'm Yakumo Kurama, I thank you for helping us… uhmm...?"

"Tch…. Kurama, My name is Kurama. Just Kurama, nothing else, that's all I'm telling you." The fox now named Kurama said. Yakumo smiled at getting that particular name from the fox and then giggled at the irony.

"What's so funny?" Kurama asked.

"Oh nothing, though if you don't mind me asking, why were you in here anyway?" she asked the fox, of his purpose of infiltrating the palace.

"Tch, that's for me to know and for you never to find out" It stated as It began to walk down the corridor. It then looked back at Trickster and Yakumo.

"Hey! What are you waiting for? We better move before more of those sons of bitches come here to see why that fucking crow hasn't reported back with the other shadows; they probably know that we're here. You want to get out here right? Then we need to head for the entrance" They said, Yakumo nodding happily with Trickster following them quickly.

They made it pass through the palace with not much difficulty as they took care of the few shadows along the way, they were a bit worn out but good thing was that the entrance was in sight.

As they made a mad dash towards the Entrance Hall, they instantly got ambushed as soon as they entered the room. They all halted in surprise when they saw "Elder Unkai" there along with his shadow Anbu guards. Trickster had his hand on his Ninjatō, ready to whip it out at any moment.

 **"...You again?"** Unkai gave them a sneer, most of it directed at Trickster. **"To think you'd make the mistake of coming here again. You're hopeless!"**

Trickster glared at the shadow with spite. He really wanted to slice up this asshole right now.

Unkai smirked deviously. **"How far the clan heiress of the Kurama clan has fallen."**

"The hell're you gettin' at!?" Kurama shouted.

 **"I speak of the 'clan demon' who had killed her family with her powers."** Unkai taunted. **"Oh, I can only imagine the pain of the others who were dragged and killed under with your… murder."**

"Ngh…" Yakumo physically flinched as Unkai obviously hit a wound.

"Murder?" Kurama questioned, looking over at Yakumo.

 **"What a surprise,"** Unkai said in a mocking tone. **"So you're accompanying her without knowing anything at all? She killed her own parents and crushed any trust of the clan with the Hokage, yet she still carries on as if she didn't do it at all."**

"That's not true!" Yakumo denied.

 **"You've come to this far to save her and now are going to end up dead,"** Unkai shook his head at Trickster. **"...How unlucky of you."** He waved his hands at them and began ordering his guards. **"Go. Kill them all. Don't sully my manor with garbage."**

Unkai suddenly stopped and looked over at them. He smirked and pointed directly at Yakumo. **"...Except the princess of course. Capture her instead. I do need my pawn to help finish my plan."**

"The hell did you just say?!" Yakumo exclaimed in a burst of immediate anger.

Trickster stepped in front of her, holding his arm out, as if to protect her. She knew he was doing it to help her and all, but it really made her blood boil when he did it.

The Shadows in front of them revealed their true forms, which being a higher level Shadow than the ones they've been fighting before. Trickster pulled Yakumo back, knowing that this'll be a tough challenge for them.

"Damnit…" Yakumo growled under her breath as she stayed close to Trickster.

Trickster yanked out his Ninjatō and held it up against the Shadows. They found themselves utterly surrounded by them. Trickster had his back against Yakumo's while Kurama was in front of her. He gripped his Ninjatō tightly and glared at the Shadows before them.

"Shit! We're surrounded!" Kurama exclaimed as it got ready, baring its claws out while Trickster readied his Ninjatō.

They all formed into different demons from each patch. Two of them were just like the demon they fought before, Tengu. The demon in front of Trickster was a woman dressed in a black and gold dress with black hair and a crown.

 **"Listen, Intruder, by the command from the Elder, all trespassers will have to be apprehended and sentenced to death. You will either comply or resist, which is it?"** The demon women said.

"Well gaki, looks like we have no other options, we have to fight!" Kurama stated as they prepare for a fight.

Trickster shot out a few [Air Bullets] at both of the Tengu's down and thus, immobilize them, though when he tried to strike them down, the demon woman decided to light him up with an Agilao.

"Gah!" Trickster yelled as he felt the burning sensation of the demon's flames hitting him very hard. He endured the pain of the fire but by the time he did, the Tengu were already regaining their bearings. Seeing Trickster needing a minute, Kurama tagged in, jumping away from Yakumo and kick Trickster back to her. It then summoned Jack to burn them away.

Sadly that wasn't going to happen, since the moment they did, both Tengu nailed him with a Garu and then Blades of Fury. Both Jack and Kurama yelled out in pain from the combo the demons dealt them, before the demon woman then swatted Kurama with its hand.

Kurama bounced and hit the floor next to Trickster. Trickster himself decide to switch out his personas and switches Inari for Pyro Jack.

"Pyro Jack!" Trickster called out as he ripped his mask off, which burst into blue flames, and crushed it, summoning the Jack-o- lantern to him.

 **Haha, need a hand?** He asked.

"Lunge!" he commanded as Pyro Jack charge and smashed his lantern into the demon woman, though it did little effect as the Tengu demons then attack him instead of his persona.

They whacked him with their staffs, causing harm to him and into a pillar as he fell to the ground. Kurama, seeing Trickster in trouble, was about to jump in but then…

"Ahhhh!" Kurama turned around to see Yakumo captured by two other shadow guards. Kurama was going to help but then a shadow envelope around it. It looked behind itself to see other demons in the back/ Though before it could defend itself, it was bombarded with spells and attacks.

"Gack" It let out as It fell to the ground in front of Elder Unkai, who then stepped on its head, glaring at them.

" **Now that the trash is taken care of,"** he said as he looked at Yakumo who could only stare with fear. **"Yakumo my dear, we can bring you back to your chambers."** he said with a smile.

"Yakumo!" Trickster called out before he was beaten into the ground by the Unkai's demons.

" **Hn, pitiful and stupid. Thinking you could come here into MY manor and take MY pawn away?!"** Elder Unkai stated as he had his demons beat Trickster repeatedly.

'No…' Yakumo whispered at the sight. Unkai then walked over to Yakumo and the shadow Anbu he had watching and guarding her.

" **Now that the garbage is out of the way, you can go back to painting me more genjutsus my dear."**

"No' she said.

" **I'm sorry. Come again?"** he asked her, she glared back at him.

"NO! I'm not going back!" she glared at him, sprinting past the shadows and away from Unkai.

"I refused to be your pitiful tool any longer!" she glared at Unkai.

"You kept me here day after day as a slave! Using me for my power to take over the village and kill the hokage!" she yelled.

" **Ugh! How dare you talk back to your grandfather like that! I took care for you, sheltered you from the clan that wanted you dead! You have nothing else but to obey and do as I say!"** Unkai stated back to her.

"NO! I won't be so blind to listen to you ever again!" she yelled.

" **I won't be talked back to by the likes of you!"** Unkai yelled back as two shadow Anbu came to his call.

 _ **[Persona 5 Ost - Awakening]**_

 _So, you finally opened your eyes_

A voice whispered….

"A-agahh" Yakumo drops to her knees as she grip her head in pain, she brought her head up, trickster and Kurama could see her eyes, both wide and yellow/golden.

 _...Never shall you submit to those power hungry fools any longer...You wish to forge your own path, correct? Then allow me to grant you the power to do so..._

It beckoned to her ever so sweetly.

" **Guards, seize her!"** Unkai ordered.

 _I am thou...thou art I..._

"Yakumo!" Trickster shouted, trying to get up and help but fell to the ground in pain as both he and Kurama were still wounded and beaten.

Yakumo notices, and instinctively puts her hands up to shield herself from the incoming assault. Suddenly blue energy started to flare up, making a sort of barrier around her, repelling the shadows.

" **What?!'** Unkai gasped.

Blue flames enveloped over her face,and what emerges was a golden mask with a single ruby gem in the center of it, with lesser green gems along the side of it. The mask looked like a golden crown for a deity as it covered only her eyes and nose; it had two like crown horns that go past her head.

 _With this newfound strength shall you walk upon this path of strife, and conquer this world that would dare use pitiful illusions!_

"A mask?" Kurama whispered.

Yakumo, feeling the mask being on her, starting gripping at its edges. Struggling as she realized the mask was stuck, she violently pulls on it, trying to get it off her face. She tugged at it roughly before tearing it off, shedding blood in her face in the process.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!" She screamed as a blue tower of power exploded where she stood.

It was so powerful that it caused most of the guards to be pushed back. Most faltered with their hold on Trickster and Kurama, as they took action and got out of their grasp with one last struggle. They let go of them and they instantly got to their feet

. "Whoa… so she has that kind of potential too…" Kurama said surprised.

"I figured as much," Trickster mumbled softly.

 _ **[As did I. It's no wonder she didn't became corrupted by this world when she had been here for the entire time.]**_ Inari said, adding his two cents.

 _ **[Persona 5 Ost - Will Power]**_

Appearing behind Yakumo was a woman in elegant red dress like robes that covered her chest and neck but left her shoulders bare and reach a bit past her hips. Said dress seemed to be made of red, green and peach petals of flowers, showing her tan skin with green vines like pattern on her skin. Detached arm warmer sleeves covered her arms, but didn't hide her hands and cream color gloves. She wore belly dancer pants with purple flowers added to them.

She had black woven hair that was tied in a braid, she also wore a golden mask with a single ruby gem in the center of it, with lesser green gems along the side of it. It had a flower design on it and a crystal on top the mask that had beneath another flower. It covered her eyes and nose as well.

In its hands was a sitar, color gold with red, green and peach.

Yakumo herself went through a different change of clothes as well. She wore a black and peach bodysuit that covers her chest and stops at her mid thighs with white vine ascents. She wore white elbow length gloves with three small belts strapped on each arm, and a pair of gold, crescent moon-shaped earrings. She wears belly dancer pants from her waist to her feet, along with heel boots as well.

She glares at Unkai, who only stared in awe and fear, then he glares back with a smirk.

"Even if you apologize now… I won't forgive you…ever!" Yakumo said to Unkai, shaking her fist at him with whatever anger she has left.

" **Oh? And how are you gonna stop me from capturing you this time?"** Unkai stated, with an evil smirk.

"This is How!" she said, as her person sat down behind her as her hair unraveled, forming a dome around them. Inside the dome three canvases appear in front of her.

"Here's a boost!" she said as she painted in one of the canvases of Trickster and Kurama, covered in a colorful aura.

Her persona strummed her sitar as the ink flowed off the canvases, through the dome and into both Trickster and Kurama. Power surged into both Trickster and Kurama, they could feel their strength and chakra refreshed and feeling prop and ready for another fight.

"Now that's what I call a healing breeze!" Kurama said as they brought out their claws. Trickster nods as well.

"Time for round two you bastards!" he said as the shadows ready themselves to fight as Unkai retreated behind his shadows.

Yakumo smirked from inside the dome as she saw the others from within the dome through her canvases.

She then looked to the one on her right to see Trickster's and Kurama's information, their strengths and weaknesses, she was also able to the see the strengths and weaknesses of the demons.

The shadows' bodies began to spasm and then exploded once again. They showed the same demons from before.

Yakumo had the demons' power on her canvases, the first demon covered in black was called Sati while the others were Tengu.

["Guys! The black demon is named Sati! It's weak to ice, gunfire and curses! The Tengu are, weak to fire!] Yakumo stated to them, both nodded as they sprinted off from each other.

"Kurama! Take care of the Tengu for now while I take care of the Sati!" Trickster ordered, Kurama gave a clawed thumbs up.

"Gotcha!" It said as they dashed at the Tengus. One swing its staff at the fox while the other sent a torrent of green wind at it.

Parrying the staff, It summons Jack the Ripper to deflect the Garu spell at him.

 **Burn! Maragi!** Jack summoned small balls of fire before they went after the Tengu. The fire struck and burned the Tengu; while that was happening, Kurama was dancing around the Tengu's swings.

" **Blades of Fury!"** the Tengu shouted as its staff glowed before it swung and many small crescent shaped blades of light started swirling everywhere. Kurama quickly lit its tail and then wrote a fuinjutsu seal in the air with the kanji ( _関_ _Barrier_ ). Fire wrapped around them, forming a sort of orb.

The orb of fire endured the crescent blades until it ended. The Tengu looked astonished but decide to crush the orb; but just as it swung down its staff at the orb, it exploded in its face in an inferno of flames.

It screams in pain while behind it was Kurama who substituted with a kunai that was lying on the ground.

It turned at him in rage only to be shot down by multiple Air Bullets, Trickster landed next to Kurama.

"Heya! Hope you don't mind if I join this dance?" He joked as Kurama looked over his shoulder to see the Sati demon fighting a group of Tricksters.

"That'll keep it busy, for now let's get rid of these crows" he commanded, Kurama nodded as both tore off their mask and then crushed them.

Bursting out of blue flames were both Inari and Ripper.

"Garu!"

"Agi!"

Both ordered their persona as a fireball emerging from Jack's right hand shot at the shadows before it fused with the Garu Inari sent straight in front of the lead shadow. The result was a humongous ball of flames that were fed by the wind spell that both persona's fired at the Shadow. The fire came into contact with the Shadow, instantly incinerating it. The flames were then carried and fueled by the wind like shrapnel from a grenade and caused the rest of the shadows to be destroyed, their wails of pain could not even escape as their flesh burned.

Though some shadows dodged the attack but Kurama was already before them in a blink of an eye, its claws were glowing red. "Where do ya think you're going?"

It leaped and dashed around them, dealing slashes at them and scorching with them with fire, before jumping above them, flashing through hand signs.

["Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"] It bellowed out as it expelled a massive orb of roaring flame towards the bodies as it landed with a savage grin showing its razor sharp teeth.

Meanwhile, Trickster was sprinting and maneuvering around the Sati demon as it tries to lay waste to him with fire. He dodges the explosive flame attacks, until he saw an incoming fireball speeding towards him. Not being able to dodge it in time, he settled with trying to block instead. The fireball though nailed him right in the chest, before he was sent flying.

"Gah!" he landed on his feet as he glared at the demon, he had a few scorch marks on his outfit and arms but nevertheless he was okay, the demon was about to attack again.

"Hey! Hey!" He's not the only one you're fighting!" Kurama jumped onto the demon's back and then began to slash at its face, drawing its attention away from Trickster.

['Trickster! Hold still I'm going to heal you!"] She said as she did a few green brush strokes on the image of the wounded Trickster.

With a strum of Benzaiten's sitar the paint flowed off the canvases and into Trickster, most of his wounds healing slightly.

Rolling his shoulder, Trickster gave a thumbs up before joining the fight again.

While Trickster was being healed, Kurana was weaving and dancing around the Sati demon, casually summoning Jack for assistance.

"Eiha!"

Black and red energy surrounded the demon before it exploded, causing great amount of harm to the demon as it was knocked down to the floor.

 **"I am… a loyal subject… of the glorious Elder Unkai…"** Wheezed the demon. **"So why… have I lost...?!"**

"It just proves to show how weak your elder really is," Kurama said smugly, chuckling as he did.

Joining Kurama's side was a healed Trickster. "Hope you don't mind if I join in?" He joked, as he pointed his Ninjato at the falling demon.

To his surprise, Kurama pulled out a crossbow he somehow had on him at the demon.

["It's down! Let 'em have it!"] Yakumo shouted as Inari faded away.

"All-out attack." Trickster called out as he smirked.

The world somehow turned dark red as the seven thieves, Trickster and his five clones, along with Kurama were left unaffected before leaping into the air. The scene then shifted to the silhouette of the demon, which had managed to get back up, and was currently being bombarded by attacks coming from seven unidentifiable black blurs darting in and out to attack the demon.

A flash filled the scene before Trickster and his clones landed with his back turned to the Sati, tightening one of his gloves before he tightened the second with a confident smirk on his face as a grey star with two bullet holes in it appeared in the background, followed by the demon spurting black blood from it's neck and chest as Trickster's eyes seemed to glow red in the scene, while his clones poofed away the same time the demon's blood was shed.

...

 _ **[Song Ends]**_

"Tch, show off..." Kurama muttered as they regrouped with Yakumo.

"Like you could do better" Trickster taunted him, Kurama bared its sharp razor teeth.

"Oh yeah! Next demon that we fight I'll show who's better!" they challenged as Yakumo emerged from the dome of her persona's hair.

"..That was..." Yakumo started.

"Thrilling?" Trickster asked

"Exciting?" Kurama added next

"Exhilarating!" Yakumo said with a huge smile. They then heard the growls of Unkai who was still there.

" You... no matter what you say to me. Even if you're my grandfather...I won't forgive you for using me!"Yakumo said to Unkai, shaking her fist at him in whatever anger she had left.

 **"Hmph! I told you that this is My manor,"** Unkai said smugly. **"It seems you simpletons still don't understand…"** as an familiar girl in a lavender kimono walked up next to him.

'I'm here to serve elder Unkai' said the Yakumo copy with a happy smile. Unkai grinned smugly at them.

"What the-..?"Trickster said, looking at Yakumo who was gaping at the sight of herself with Unkai. Unkai then glared at them.

 **"Guards! Kill them all this instant!"** Unkai shouted.

A group of Shadows appeared before them, obviously outnumbering the group.

"Shit! Trickster!" Kurama called out, jabbing its head at Yakumo. Trickster nodded.

"Yakumo…!" Trickster boldly acted and grabbed her from behind, lifting her into his arms bridal style as he and Kurama quickly dashed towards the exit of the palace.

The shadows weren't about to let them leave peacefully, as they threw shurikens and kunai along with fire, wind and lightning jutsus at them, some being close and some missing. One fire jutsu was aiming for Trickster, but Kurama jumped in the way took the hit instead as they made it out of the palace.

"Gah!" Kurama hit the floor hard as they made it out of the palace, hearing Kurama yell in pain snapped Yakumo out of her trance as she looked at him.

"Kurama!" Yakumo said as she ran up to him, he was in pain as she could see a mark on the back of his outfit.

"He's hurt badly! I don't think I can heal this much damage!" she said scared, Trickster was the same as he could see the damage Kurama took for them, even with the slashes and cuts they both had Kurama took the most of it while trying to defend them.

Kurama needed attention but first they needed to get out of here. Trickster looked at his NinjaTech.

 _ **"Exit ready, return back?"**_

The red icon appeared, staring him back. Guessing what would happened next, Trickster pressed it, and found that the world seemed to twist and morph once more. To Yakumo's shock they had disappeared from the distorted world, and returned back to reality.

"Huh? What happened!?" Yakumo said, as she was back in her lavender kimono, she looked down and was shock at what she held instead of supposedly Kurama.

What she held was a young boy who looked to be the age of ten years old. He had blood red hair with streaks of burnt orange with small streaks of black. He was wearing black heavy cargo shorts with a dark red V-neck shirt, He had a burnt orange sleeveless hoodie over that. The thing that draw their gazes was the whisker marks on his faces.

' _So that's what he looks like in the real world...'_ thought Trickster, or who he really was now in the real world, shedding his thief outfit...Naruto.

"Trickster what's goi-" Yakumo paused in shock as she looked at Naruto without his thief attire. "Trickster?" she said.

"Yeah... its me." He said as he picked up Kurama and placed him onto his back as he began to walk. " Come on. We need to bring him to get help, so follow me" he said as he began to walked away from the front gate of the Kurama clan manor, Yakumo following behind him. " By the way, my name's Naruto" he said to her as they walked away from the manor.

[Red Light District]

Dragging Kurama along with himself as Yakumo followed them, Naruto made his way to the Red Light District.

Walking through this district of the village….brought up a few memories that taught him the things he knows today:

When you're attacked every day, you learn to anticipate people's movements...

When you're attacked by shinobi, you get even better at it...

When you have to steal to eat when denied service and was locked from your home…

To hide to survive from day to day, you typically learn to hide from those hunting you,

you learn how to sense people, whether they can hide or not,

and you always catalogue where someone can be hiding.

That kind of sense never leaves you, because the moment you think you are in danger again...it resurfaces.

He remembers it all when he was still young and was often locked out of the house and had to sleep outside.

Wandering through this district both hurt him and taught him lessons that he kept even when he was being trained by Itachi...Though the few years of being through here… it also taught Naruto who he could trust...

"Yakumo" he called out to the Kurama heiress, indicating he wanted her to follow him. He made his way to an alleyway to the right with Kurama on his back.

Walking past a few drinks or homeless as they travel all the way to a….clinic? In the red light district?

Naruto walked up to the door of the clinic and banged on the door a few times.

"Alright! Alright who the fuck! Is banging on my fucking door!?" A voice shouted from inside as the door opened to show a tall tan-skinned man, with a large scar over his right eye down to the edge of his lip, brown eye, white hair kept in a low ponytail going down to only his upper back. Seen with a cigarette in his mouth, and normally seen with a stern, narrow eyed glare, making him look intimidating.

Yakumo was scared and clearly intimidated by the man as he looked over her before his eyes scroll over to Naruto and some red haired kid.

The man was staring at Naruto fiercely before his eyes soften. "Alright bring the kid and yourself in brat." He said as he made space for them.

"Thanks old man.." he chuckled as he walked into the clinic, Yakumo looked both confused and scared as she quickly followed him inside before the man walked inside, closing the door behind him.

Walking inside, Yakumo looked around. Seeing shelves with medical supplies and medicine for patients, she did stopped once she saw a human skull on a desk. She then heard a creak and yelp, hurrying up behind the old man and Naruto.

"Place the kid here brat." The man said, pointing to a medical bed next to a few tools, Naruto placed Kurama down onto the bed as he took a seat himself next to the bed while the old man took his seat next to a desk.

"Okay brat what the hell did you do now to end up with this..." pointing to Kurama's body on the medical bed. "….To this…" pointing to his damaged body and then Yakumo" And then lastly why the fuck there is a clan heiress in my clinic?" He demanded softly from the blonde boy.

"Uh… well you see-" only to be stopped by the old man raising his hand. "You know what? Just drop it, not now. I'll rip it from you later brat." He said making Naruto slightly sweat.

"You!" He said to Yakumo, making said heiress jump with fright. "Girl, there is a kit with bandages and Gauzes needed for the kid's wounds. They're down the hall on the shelf to your right, two rows from the bottom. Go get them right now" he ordered to her. Yakumo, who, even if she was startled, nodded and went to get the kit. "Brat, grab the bed that the kid's on and then raise it with the button on the right. Then grab the case with the packets of fresh blood and bring it here. It's behind you in the fridge." He ordered, the young Fool listening.

Yakumo came back with a large kit in her arms, the old man took it from her and place it next to him. He then proceeded to remove Kurama's shirt. His eyes narrowed as he looked upon the fresh burns, slash wounds and bruises all caked in blood.

Yakumo flinched seeing the wounds inflicted upon Kurama, she didn't know that he took such damage for him to have wounds like that..

"Girl, there should be a wet cloth by the sink next to the fridge. Get it for me." He said as she went to the sink while Naruto came back with the case and placed it next to the bed.

The old man took a syringe from the table he had next to him and then took some blood from the kid and looked.

"Brat take out a packet of type B and hand it to me." He ordered, Naruto looked for one mark type-B and handed it to the old Man who attached it to an IV line and then inserted it to Kurama's arm. Yakumo came back with a wet cloth, he took it from her and then wiped down all the blood from Kurama's body.

He pointed behind him to a jar of salve that Naruto went and got for him while he finished cleaning all of Kurama's wounds and then applied the salve, he handed it to Yakumo. He asked her to do the rest while he took out the gauzes and then begin to wrap them around the cuts and wounds of Kurama where the salve was applied.

After that was done he then wrapped bandages on the gauzes and was done.

After all was said and done. The old man looked at Naruto before he got up and walked up to him. "Take off your shirt brat." He ordered, Naruto doing just that as the old man raised his right hand that started to glow green and then placed it over his chest as the wounds that Naruto had that weren't healing began to fade away. "There, now you're all healed up but to be on the safe side." He turned around and walked to his desk and pulled out a drawer. He takes out a needle and then lightly stabs Naruto in the arm with it before injects a liquid into him.

"That should help the chakra in your body work overtime to help with the rest of injuries in your body that I couldn't heal. You should rest for a bit… got that, brat?" The old man said glaring at him, Naruto nodded.

"Yeah I got it. Old man…" he said, the 'old man' glared even harder.

"I mean it brat… hate to find out that you end up dead from not listening to me" he commented already knowing Naruto and his habit of getting into fights

"Ummm…. Mister?"

Both the old man and Naruto turned to Yakumo who was fidgeting.

"Yeah?" He said

"Um… if you don't mind me asking…. But how do you know Naruto?" She asked, a bit nervous of the intimidating man that stood before her.

….

"That's all ya wanted to know? Not who I am? My name? Or what or who I was before?" He asked to which she shyly shook her head nervously.

"Oh, n-no, I..uhh...I-I'm sorry.."

Taiga looked at her as she acted so shy and nervous, the opposite of what others usually saw and called her. For a kid so young and meek, nervous and shy, usually Taiga wouldn't care what others say about him as he could understand how hard it would be to be treated like some sort of threat or danger as the many villagers or Shinobi.

"hmph… My name is Taiga Kizu, I'm a retired jounin ranked medical nin from Kumo... I used to have an impressive record of no deaths on my watch. I came here to relax in my retirement until this brat was dragged into my clinic."

Yakumo was surprised, she didn't know there was someone like him living in Konoha, much less someone who is actually on a similar caliber as Tsunade of the Sannin. She turned to Naruto who shot her a nod, before he looked back at the now named Taiga who glared back at him.

He closed his eyes and sighed before looking away from Naruto, taking a side glance. "You asked how I met the brat here?"

Yakumo nodded, wanting to know how the two met.

"Well I can tell you it wasn't a good first impression…"

"Yeah… as much as one could make covered in cuts and bruises while losing a lot of blood." Naruto interject with a sad look.

Yakumo eyed him with a look of horror, Naruto looked at her. "...5 years ago, I was escaping a mob that tried to kill me, which I fought since I didn't want to die because of a bunch of dumbasses can't see past their hate and prejudice of what happened years ago. I ran away from the mob to the Red Light District... They stopped chasing me for some reason that I didn't know, nor did I want to know at the time since I just wanted to get away from them.

"Tch they probably thought that you wouldn't make it with how badly hurt you were back then, assuming that you'd will die in here…" Taiga said with annoyance.

"I managed to hide to somewhere, which so happens to be the alleyway leading to Taiga's clinic…"

"The brat managed to notice it, he stupidly tried to push himself to get to it, but was losing a lot of blood, leading to him passing out… He was lucky a prostitute found him lying in his own pool, she probably panicked a bit, and helped him, banging on my door...Tch, imagine my surprise when I opened my door to see a prostitute at my door with a kid covered in his own blood that looked to be on death's door." Taiga took a swing of his cup before glaring at Naruto.

Naruto chuckled, he turned to Yakumo who was taking this in.

"I didn't know I was losing a lot of blood until my senses were messing up and my body stopped responding..…I had so much adrenaline in my system that i couldn't feel the anything at the time before my body started shutting down on me" Naruto said, rubbing his neck nervously. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Taiga here."

"Hmph, damn straight." Taiga said with a firm nod before glancing at Naruto. "Ever since that night this brat here comes to my clinic whenever he gets the snot beat out of him."

"Hey!"

"You know what I mean brat!"

Yakumo looked at the both of them as Taiga got Naruto into a headlock while Naruto actually tried to bite his arm to get free.

"….That..is some relationship you two have... goddamn... what the hell hit me?" Yakumo heard behind her as she turned to see that Kurama was awake and in an upward position. He had his back against the wall of the bed as he looked at the huge intimidating old man who had Naruto in a headlock.

Taiga dropped Naruto as he walked over to Kurama, making him a bit nervous for some reason. "How are you feeling? Do you experience any discomfort currently?" He asked them.

Kurama was caught off guard when he began to question how he was. "Better than I was before. Not besides my back and right shoulder, I'm alright." Kurama answered, still feeling a bit uncomfortable with Taigs this close to him.

After inspecting Kurama, Taiga nodded before walking out of the room. "I'll be right back, you three stay put." He said before glaring at Naruto. "That goes double for you brat!"

He then left the room leaving the three on their own.

"..Um…" Yakumo muttered, getting the other two's attention, making her looked down timidly. "What do we do now?" She asked as both thought about the question.

"Tch…. Well that's the main thing to think about…." Kurama said, they tend to flinch slightly from their patched up wounds.

"Yeah….I mean what do we do now? We barely made it back without getting killed by those shadows in that palace…." Said Naruto, crossing his arms in thought, though Yakumo was a bit confused on a certain term he used.

"Palace?" She asked curious, since before all this she thought that the place she was in was merely her clan's manor. This cause both Kurama and Naruto to look confused before Kurama remembered.

"Right! You didn't know where you were in before either of us met." Kurama said with realization.

Naruto nodded before turning to Yakumo. "Yakumo…. This may be a bit much for you to understand but that… place we were in was…. The world inside your grandfather's heart…"

"World in my... Jiji's heart?" She

"That's right kid!" She turned to Kurama who looked at her in the eyes. "That was the world made from your grandfather's greatest desire and sin… that's how your grandfather sees the world…"

B-but wait a sec-that doesn't make any sense!" Yakumo exclaimed, "Jiji was there and everything! I know for sure that he's real! Though… I've never seen him dressed or act like that before…"

"That Unkai fellow, the ruler of this castle that you met, is well...well he is your grandfather but at the same time he isn't." Naruto declared, placing his hands on his lap. "A Shadow is the manifestation of negative human emotions. When a strong Shadow exists, it attracts the lesser Shadows, which were the ones we were fighting and getting our asses kicked by back there. Another thing to remember is that this world of cognition exists alongside you at all times. Now, in this world of cognition, there are places that are generated by a Shadow with strong, distorted desires of the heart, and makes up a small part of that cognitive world their own. There are many with that sort of distortion, though when there's a place with the distortion being the strongest, there's a strong shadow there as the ruler. That is what I like to call a 'Palace'." Naruto explained to the young heiress. "Usually when the palace is formed it's there as a parallel mirror to the real location, but there is times when the distortion is so strong that it can connect and affect the real world. Thus, the reason you were there in the first place Yakumo…"

"...I-I see…" she said with a lost expression, Naruto feeling quite bad for her.

Clearing her throat, Yakumo stood straight and turned to Kurama. "S-so, these powers we have… the beings that we summoned? What are they ?"

"Oh that, well they're what is called a Persona." Kurama nodded in confirmation. "Did ya notice how we have to tore off our masks when we summoned them? You see, everyone has a mask within their heart that they wear to protect them…" Kurama began to explain. "They are the other half of yourself that you keep suppressed, cage, locked up or bottled away from the light. The mask that forms is the key, the seal to unlock and unleashed your persona from your very being and into the field."

Yakumo thought back to how she felt when she was talking down her grandfather's shadow. The thrill, the rush once she ripped off the mask on her face and gaining Benzaiten…

"It's a lot to take in isn't it?" She heard Naruto talking, she turned to Naruto. "Believe me I know the feeling, it was the same with me when I summoned Inari…. But then again I was going to die if I didn't" he chuckled nervously, at the memory of getting his ass kicked.

"Hmph of course you were getting your ass kicked... you wouldn't see me getting a beating like that" Kurama laughed, Naruto's eye twitched before he smiled at Kurama.

"Really? Then what was that back at the Palace? I'm sure while I was on the floor, you were getting your assed kick and even before that you needed my help with that Tengu demon before.." he said with a smile, making Kurama stopped laughing then scowling at the blonde, Yakumo was giggling making his scowl deepen.

Before a brawl could happen with the redhead and blonde, Taiga walked back in to see the three. The redhead with a scowl and glare, the heiress giggling happily, and the brat with a cocky smirk he never seen on his face.

"Hmph… it seems you three are doing alright in here, especially you brat." He commented off handedly.

"Oh come on old man, you make it sound like I would hurt myself by standing in here alone." Said brat retorting with a pout.

Yakumo giggling more at him. "Taiga-san, Naruto can't be that bad" she said, but the doctor gave her a flat stare before replying.

"...Ever since we met I've been patching the brat's wounds and cuts whenever he comes around from a fight or beating…" Taiga said as he sat back, reaching for the top right drawer of his desk and pulled out a bottle of sake along with a cup. Yakumo deflating at hearing that and turning to Naruto who scratched the back of his neck nervously, he then gave Taiga a flat look, seeing the sake.

"Really old man? Your drinking now of all times?" Naruto asked, annoyed that the retired medic was drinking.

"~Aaaaah~, brat you're not my caretaker. I can drink whenever I damn well please!"

"Well sorry if I hate walking in to see you either drink or passed out at your desk!" Naruto angrily shouted.

Taiga just waved him off before looking at the three. "Hmph…. Well brat you and your friends are all taken care of. You can go now but you know where to find me if you're injured again.

The old medic turned around to see some herbal mixtures he had before trying something different. Kurama and Yakumo stood up and begin to walk out of the room with Naruto trailing behind them.

The Uzumaki stopped in place though as the others looked at him confused.

"Go on guys, I'll be right with you. It'll be quick." He assured them as Kurama took a swift nod while Yakumo did a shy nod as they walked out of the clinic.

Naruto walked right back into the room, Taiga was overlooking some documents. He looked up, surprised to see Naruto walking back into his office. "What's wrong brat?" he asked.

"What? I can't stop for a little talk with you?" he said back, Taiga blinked before chuckling.

"No… no, you can." He said as Naruto took a seat opposite from him. Taiga took a sip of his sake before fixing Naruto with a look. "So what the hell are you really doing now? I mean those wounds and cuts you and the redheaded brat came in with."

Naruto wasn't so sure on how to explain it, it's not lie he could say that he got them from demons formed inside a castle that Yakumo's grandfather created by his desires.

"It's complicated Taiga..." Naruto said.

"I bet, since that was the first time you call my name in a year that you haven't seen me" Naruto flinched when he said that. Taiga gave a snort as he looked at Naruto.

"Though I'm guessing it somehow intersects with your thieving, just like your theft of the Hokage office?" he said, making Naruto pale at being found out.

"H-How di-…"

"Brat, I've known you ever since you were first dragged into my clinic. You think I wouldn't recognize your handy work at first glance?" he stated,

"You're not your sisters, you're really clever and have a great mind; compared to those two, who don't take the time to plan out their targets and a way of escaping. You thought out and memorized the routes that the Anbu would be taking and when the safest time would be for you to sneak in and leave. You would take both the smartest and safe route to steal and then the most complex to confuse anyone of following you."

Naruto slumped at the explanation, to think that all the shinobi and even the Hokage himself couldn't find out his identity but it took the old man's glance to know it was him.

"Old man, can you not tell anyone about what I'm doing… please." He said before getting a cuff at his head.

"Tch… don't think so petty of me brat! You think if I didn't already when I found out, you think I would now that you told me?" he said with annoyance before fixing the blonde with a steady glare.

He then sat back down in his chair and looking through his drawers, taking out a kit, he tossed them at the young thief. "This is for you and the rest of the brats with you. I know that I can't be there with you on the field since I'm staying here patching up others that come here..."

Naruto looked through the kit to see medicine, soldier pills and even some bottles of water and concoction as well.

"…. A brat like you makes this doctor worry a lot… I've been fixing you up so much that I tend to worry when you didn't come back to my clinic for a whole year" he said thinking back to when he first met the brat and how he always came to get healed up, them arguing and then the time when he didn't came back for a year.

"Wait… you were worried? For me? "Naruto said before he chuckled a bit. "Aww… old man, you actually care!" he said, Taiga just glare at him.

"Hmph! As if! I just hate to know that you wouldn't be coming back without helping me like you have been like last year. Since you left I haven't found anyone that would help test out any of my new medical potions…" he said annoyed at the chuckling blonde.

Naruto smiled at Taiga, before nodding. "Hehehe don't worry old man I won't die that easy, and not to these people ever.'

"You better not brat!" he heard as he began to walk out once more of the office. "Oh! By the way old man," he said gaining taiga's attention.

"I'll be coming back to help you out like the old times alright!"

"Tch… I'll be waiting then brat!" he heard the old man shouted before leaving the clinic, he froze once he heard the rattling of chains and shattering of glass once more.

 _ **Thou art I... And I am thou...**_

 _ **Thou hast established a new bond and acquired a new vow...**_

 _ **It shall become thee wings of rebellion that breaketh the chains of captivity...**_

 _ **And bring thee closer to the truth...**_

 _ **With the blessing of this Chariot Persona**_

 _ **Thou shalt be blessed when creating**_

 _ **Personas of the Chariot Arcana**_

 _ **...**_

' _The Chariot huh? Hmph that fits the old man'_ he thought with a smirk as he left the clinic with a view to return and see the old man again.

"Took ya long enough" said Kurama who was waiting outside with a discomfort Yakumo.

"Sorry it took so long, I had to catch up with the old man."

"O-Oh it's okay Naruto" Yakumo stuttered fearfully, probably from the environment they're in, Naruto wince since he was the one to bring her here since both him and Kurama needed to get healed up.

"Come on follow me, since we can't stay here for long even if it's dark out right now." He said taking lead as he dashed out of the red light district, taking Yakumo bridal style. She let out an 'eep!' when he did this with Kurama right behind them.

After roof hopping for a while they were not that far from his and Itachi's apartment.

"U-um Naruto?" Yakumo called out, Naruto looked at her.

"Yes?"

"Where are Kurama and I supposed to sleep for the night? I can't go back to my clan's manor and I don't know if Kurama has a home to return to…" she said, pointing out the main problem they have.

"Yeah kit the girl's right." Kurama added in his two cents in as well, seeing the problem since they doubt Itachi has enough room for two more in his apartment.

"Kurama can sleep with me… but for Yakumo...I'm gonna have to call in a favour." Naruto said, with a queasy feeling.

"Oh yeah? And who's the favour coming from?" Kurama asked?

"You'll find out…." He said as he checked his NinjaTech and scrolling through his contacts.

XOXOXOCOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"~Sooo~ this the girl you need me to look after? Foxy-kun~" came out a gleeful and mischievous voice.

The owner of the voice was an Anko Mitarashi. Anko has light brown, pupil-less eyes. Her hair - black with a violet tint styled in a short, spiky, fanned-ponytail. She was wearing loose dark purple tank top and only her panties. Anko was standing in the doorway, staring down at Yakumo who was currently hiding behind Naruto.

"Yes…. Yes she is,Anko... and quit calling me that...…" Naruto said, his right eye twitching a bit at the nickname she called him, he could hear Kurama snickering from beside him.

Anko looked at him, to Yakumo and then to the snickering Kurama. "No can do ~Foxy-kun~" she said with a teasing smirk, she knew he hated being called that but she didn't have a damn for it was pleasant to get a reaction out of him.

"...Now what's in it for me? I mean I'm letting the kid sleep over, but I don't even know her… she doesn't look like much, so why should I?" She asked, Naruto thought she would ask since he wouldn't be asking a favor of over. There was her relationship with Kurenai as well…. Hmmm? Food for thought right there.

"Because I was running out of options.." He said with a poker face, lying through his teeth "I don't have enough space in my place for two more people Anko, and besides from what she told me, she doesn't exactly get along with your friend, so she couldn't stay with her either…who was it? Oh yeah Kurenai...Yeah, Yakumo here was trained by her...but it seems she thought that she should just give up considering her problem...does that sound familiar?…" he said, Anko's head turned to Yakumo with a look…"

"You were trained by Nai-chan?" She questioned the brunette, who hesitated but slowly nod.

She looked at the heiress with a crucial stare, making Yakumo feel really uncomfortable. Sure Yakumo didn't seemed like much, but then again that was mostly her clan and Nai-chan's fault. Her clan didn't trust her nor didn't want her to get any more powerful and Nai-chan didn't exactly help her in any case. She more or less told her to give up her dream of being a that she thought about it, Nai-chan did told her about that from one of those times they went out drinking whenever she or her comes back after a hard mission.

"Do this for me and I'll do one favour for you…" he said with an uneasy face, Anko head turning to Yakumo with a small smile before she turned to Naruto with a glint in her eye.

"Anything?" she purred as Naruto subconsciously gulped but he looks back at her in the eye.

"Anything..." Naruto flinched seeing her with a cheshire smile on her face as she looked at him. She then walked toward him and then grabbed Yakumo from behind him and held her under her arm.

"Okay Foxy-kun I'll watch over her, you don't have worry a thing about her. We'll be getting to know each other." She said with mischievous and gleeful smile as Yakumo had comical tears in her eyes. "You better keep your word! Or else I'll have to come and find you~!" She eagerly said.

"Naruto… please don't leave me with her!" she cried, with fear in her eyes, but before Naruto could say anything, Anko quickly went back and closed the door in his and Kurama's face.

…..

….

"Kit….. Was that the smart thing to do?" Kurama asked.

"To be honest with you…. No I don't think it was but here's hoping it turns out alright…."

"You know she might try to kill you tomorrow right?"

"Yeah…. She might probably would" he said as they turned away from Anko's apartment and then headed towards his and Itachi's.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

As they were reaching the district that he and Itachi's apartment resides in.

"Hey…. Kurama?" Naruto called the Fox's name.

"What is it kit?" Rolling his eyes at the blonde.

"If you don't mind me asking….. how did you get out of the seal and into the Metaverse?" He asked since it was the first thing to pop into his head ever since he met the fox.

"..." Kurama didn't say anything as he tried to remember how did he get out of the seal. He wasn't sure but he did get out of the seal.

"Kurama?"

"I don't remember how I did…." He shook his head as he tried, in vain, to remember how he did.

"Oh…" Naruto looked away as they made their way.

"But…." Naruto looked back at Kurama. " I remember one thing… there was man…"

"A man?"

"Yeah…. I can't exactly remember his name but I remember we made some sort of deal and he somehow, somehow was able to get me out of the seal." He said with a lost look.

"...Hmm.." Naruto took this in, he was wondering who this man was.

"And that I guess he dumped my new body in the metaverse with nothing but a set of words…. Help the fool"

That drawn Naruto, making him feeling a bit suspicious.

"After that I woke up and then found the palace with you running inside like a dumbass" Kurama recited.

"What was that?" Naruto's eye twitched at the 'dumbass' remark.

"You hear me, seriously what idiot runs into a palace through the front door without looking for any other exit or entrance?"

"Oh I'm sorry if I'm new to this, could you remind me who was the one that got fried again?" Naruto taunted with a smug grin.

"Says the one that got caught in chains before and then smashed into the wall" they retorted.

"You want to start something fox!?"

"I'm ready if you are, blondie!"

Both of them argued until they made their way to the apartment.

Naruto opened the door as he let Kurama inside, he walked over to the fridge, took out some leftovers from the night before and warmed them up and offer them some. The fox turned child said a faint grace and thank you before devouring the food.

After having a hot meal, Naruto had to ask Kurama the question that been gnawing at his mind ever since they had left the palace after the fight with the shadow.

"Hey Kurama?" Naruto asked the child, gaining his attention as he looked at the blonde.

"What is it?" they asked.

"Hmm… can I ask you something? It's been bugging me since we left the palace today..."

"Whatever, sure" he said nonchalant, not even looking in his direction.

"Your memory… you don't remember much… do you?" Naruto said, seeing the Kurama flinched so slightly.

"No...but what does it matter..?" Kurama snarled turning back at the young fool. Naruto blinked at the hostility from Kurama.

"So what if I can't remember much… not like it's gonna do me any good and you know why?" They spat out, looking out the window over the many buildings that make up the district their in.

"This village…. Their fear is why it ain't gonna do me any good…I know what happened back then, kit...about how I attacked this village all those years ago….I can't remember any much else after that, or how it came to that point...but even if I try to convince them otherwise, they'd be too blind to see the truth..." he said before looking away and then back at Naruto.

Naruto's mind froze at the thought. Thinking back, Kurama is right. From his own experiences he's been treated like shit, trash, garbage thrown to the curve just because he houses the Kyuubi-...well, Kurama. If they find out what Kurama is they'll kill him...

"Besides, what if I don't want it?"

Now that brought Naruto back to reality. "What?" he said, shock and surprised in his voice.

"I said what if I don't want it?" Kurama repeated themselves.

"Wha- why? Why wouldn't you want your memories back?" He asked the young boy.

"Maybe because I wouldn't like what I might've done in my past gaki… the me now is majorly different from the me before." They said to the boy. "As much as I want my memory back there's….there's doubt that what I get back won't be just pleasant… I was a monster, sure...but I fear as though that I may truly be that terrifying…but at the same time I want it back badly, if not to know what happened"

Naruto was speechless. He wasn't expecting this from Kurama, he didn't know they thought about it this much since they met…

"... Then I'll help you get it back"

"...what?" Kurama said, flabbergasted at what Naruto just proclaimed.

"I said I'll help you get it back. You're not sure if you want it back or not right? You're afraid…" he said, staring right into Kurama's eyes. "You're afraid that you'll turn back to your old self if you were evil or a tyrant… "

Kurama was speechless… he didn't know what to say, Naruto saw right through him.

"...so if you are fine then, just leave it to me." He said jabbing his thumb at his chest. "When we get your memories back and if you do begin to act like that, then I'll knock you down so hard, I'll make sure you remember who you wanted to be…"

Kurama looked at him before bowing his head. Staring at the ground, Naruto wondered if he said something wrong.

"..."

Naruto furrow his brows at that. "What was that?" He asked.

"..I said fine!" he shouted at Naruto with his normal glare. "Fine…. If you'll help me get them back, then you have to promise me that you will do what you just said if I do turn...tyrant... got it!" He said, before raising his hand out.

Naruto grinned at them. "Alright, it's official then" he grabbed their hand as they both shook on it.

Naruto matched Kurama's toothy grin with one of his own. Just then, a glass shattering noise rung out as did the rattling of chains.

 _ **Thou art I... And I am thou...**_

 _ **Thou hast established a new bond and acquired a new vow...**_

 _ **It shall become thee wings of rebellion that breaketh the chains of captivity...**_

 _ **And bring thee closer to the truth...**_

 _ **With the blessing of this Magician Persona**_

 _ **Thou shalt be blessed when creating**_

 _ **Personas of the Magician Arcana**_

Once Naruto's vision returned to normal. 'Well that happened again… Is this gonna keep happening each time I form a new link and vow?' he thought.

Kurama then began to yawn, drawing his attention to the young boy/girl… once again he needs to ask which are they?

Anyway it is getting late. "Hehe I guess it is late. We should head to bed for the night" he said, Kurama nodded as well.

"For the night you can take my bed while I use a spare futon Itachi has in the closet." Kurama was too tired to care but they nod. They then climb into bed as Naruto prepare the futon.

"Good night Kurama"

"Good night…..Naruto"

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Opening his eyes, Naruto found himself in the familiar blue velvet room once again.

"Ah… my dear guest. I welcome you back. I take it you've learn and grow quite much since our last talk?" Said Igor, who was sitting at his desk with Marie next to him.

"Hello Igor… hello Marie" he greeted them both. "

"Hello once again… young Fool" Marie said with a small smile, he nodded at her before turning to Igor.

The man himself had his hands together with his eerie smile present.

"I see you have gain two new bonds" Igor said two tarot cards floating from the deck, one reading I. Of a man with fire in his hands and wearing a robe while the other read V. With a chariot and two Lions at its sides.

"The magician and the chariot. One that is lost without its memories and the other an old friend"

Naruto looked at the two cards, curious why he needed to gain more bonds.

"Why is it good that I acquire new bonds and vows Igor?" He asked, not understanding the motive.

Igor simply chuckled, before having the 0. The Fool float.

"Because my dear guest your power is different and unique. Like the number zero, it is an infinite routes of possibilities. Possibilities of different kinds…." The tarot card flipped over to show Inari before turning into his mask. The other two cards along with another IV. The Emperor flipped over showing blank cards except for the one showing Pyro Jack. They all turned into blank masks.

"...Or different masks."

"Our purpose here in the velvet room is to help you fuse and strengthen your personas of those under the contract."

Strengthen? Fuse personas? Whoa whoa where was this when he was in Unkai's palace getting his ass kicked like a ball? They could've gave either Inari or Jack a boost? Why not in the first place?

Though the one thing that did catch his attention was fusing Personas. What did they mean by that? How would that work? Wait….. Did he say contract?

"Wait… what do you mean contract? I didn't write or signed any form of contract" he said suspicious, he didn't remember any contract.

Igor smiled once again. "Well my guest, with the awakening of your Persona, Inari of the Fool Arcana, you chose to establish a contract, and thus are by the rules, an official guest to this Velvet Room." Naruto blinked at this info.

"Is that how usually works?" he looked at Marie, blinking.

"Well your case is quite different from your predecessors" she said with an innocent look as if in thought.

"Ooooookay…" he said before looking back at Igor, feeling something in his lap. Looking down and seeing the object, he picked it up and examined it; it was a silver key the size of his palm, with a cross-like milling and an image of a half-white and half-black mask on both sides of the head.

 _'Huh? Gotta give them points for style I guess?'_

"This key shall allow you to return here whenever you so choose," the long-nosed man explained. "Your destiny will require you to hone your power, and for that, you will inevitably require our help. There is but one price for this assistance."

Price? That made him look at Igor with thoughts. Was it in the contract? He wasn't sure since he didn't know what the hell he had signed himself for.

"And pray tell, what is that price?" He asked cautiously.

"You must abide by your contract and assume responsibility for all decisions you may make." Marie said, she produced a folder.

She opened it to reveal an almost blank contract with some writing stating that Naruto would take responsibility for his actions.

There written on the line was his name. Naruto Uzumaki the name he given Igor when they first met.

"... That's all I have to do?... To keep being a guest here?" He asked the long-nosed man.

"Yes… just take responsibility for all your actions and the consequences that follow with them as well… I take that you can do that no?"

…..

Deal with his actions and what trouble they bring? That wasn't a hard decision.

"Yeah… I can do that." He answered, the long-nosed man smiled once again.

"Good… now that we have that settled we can explain our services here for your use."

Naruto nodded, ready to know what they can do to help him.

"Well you know that a persona is a manifestation of your soul. A side of yourself that shows itself when you face the world around you."

Naruto's mask floated up in between them, facing Naruto.

"Everyone's mask, their persona is what they truly are in their own soul and heart. This mask that they wear covers, suppressed their rebellion, their will in a sense.

Once removed, one's will is unleashed and brought to existence. This will is their persona. One's persona will continue to grow as they go through their daily life of strife and hardships. They can't be changed but they can evolve in time.

However, your Persona is different from others you may later encounter because you possess a special ability; The Wild Card."

"The wild card?..."he whispered, he never heard of this ability.

"Your power is like the tarot that you hold. I'm quite sure you seen it before."

Thinking back to before his card changed shaped into his mask.

 _Showing 0. The Fool as it floated before him._

 _The tarot card then flipped over to show Inari before turning into his mask._

"The Fool?" He asked, receiving a nod from Igor.

"It is like the number zero… empty, yet holding infinite potential from within."

"So that's what you meant when you called it weak… I'm only starting to gain power." Naruto finally understood what the long-nosed man meant back in his previous visit.

"Yes… your power is weak… for now. For your power is weak because your heart is weak." Marie stated, joining in.

That took Naruto back, his heart? Is weak? That's the reason?

"My heart? Is the reason?"

"Yes…. The Persona ability is the power to control one's own heart,"

So… Inari is his heart, his soul taken form? This just add to the pile of questions he had already. Igor, as if seeing the thoughts that were in his head.

"The heart in turn is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. The power of these Social Links is what will determine your Persona's abilities."

Naruto _had_ to be dreaming right now. "Wait… Are you saying… my Persona can only get stronger… by making _friends_? Friends?!"

That's… so wrong. The thought of making connections just to make himself stronger just sounds so manipulative. That's something that be more his sisters would do with everyone but not him, he's nothing like them. If he's gonna make connections, they're gonna be because he cares for the people he makes them with.

"That's wrong," Naruto shook his head, to the slight surprise of the other room guests. "I can't… just make 'connections' if all I'd be doing is using them to gain power. That's fucked up and that's coming from me. I know the feeling of being used and betrayed, I would rather do things my own way with my own power, not twist others' feelings! Not just to increase power!"

"You misunderstand," the blond assistant answered. "Social Links are necessary for more than just strengthening your Persona. They can light the way to the truth you are searching for. In addition, a Social Link is not something only you will benefit from: to form and grow a Social Link requires your personal investment as a person as well as genuine reciprocation. It is not possible to form a true Social Link and then abuse it for power. That's not what we want you to think or receive it as."

Marie is correct, young Fool," Igor added. "The power of Social Links is evident in everyone; you are merely fortunate enough to receive the boon of the Wild Card's power like your predecessors."

"...I….see..."

Marie nods as Igor smiled. "Yes… but that's not all, you will gain certain abilities with each vow you exchange with your social links."

Naruto blinked. Vows? Abilities?

"My… vows? What do you mean by that?" He asked, curious what powers he would get from his 'vows'

"You will gain abilities from each vows, you already have from the three you already gained."

"Okay but what about the people that I've made those vows with?"

"Oh... you aren't the only one benefit from this. The lost Magician, the medical Chariot and your burdened Emperor all have gained something new from this as well… "Igor stated, Naruto was confused but intrigued. "It's only a matter time."

….

Hearing that made Naruto think. All of this was good to know especially for him, Kurama and Yakumo but… something was bothering ever since the beginning of this visit.

"Wait… Igor why is my heart weak? I thought it would be strong from how my life is." He asked, not understanding why he would say that it's weak.

"Hmmm yes. Your heart…. Tell me dear guest…. When was the last time you treated someone you didn't know with kindness? Concern? Curiosity? Or even sympathy? Before all of this?" Igor asked Naruto.

Naruto was taken back by the out of the blue question. When was the last time he was worried for anyone else? Well I guess Itachi and Taiga could count, but besides that. Who?

He had no real answer.

"I see that you can't remember from your past…. A person can't be an individual without those that helped them build their very foundation. Do you know that?" Igor said, staring at Naruto with those bloodshot eyes.

Naruto shook his head as he has not. "People build themselves with the help of human bonds. " Marie added on. "General bonds help people grow as they are the source of their pain, sadness and Joy. Without the bonds of others that are with you through a life journey you can't become stronger."

Naruto was speechless, he never thought of his live like that…. Huh? He was really alone. "Oh…"

"Dear guest, please don't take our words so harshly, we only wish the best for you on your journey." Igor said to Naruto with a smile. "My master is right, we are here to help you with our services so that you can success in your Journey, so please take our words without the sense of rudeness."

Naruto felt warm-hearted from their words. I guess I didn't really think of those that I had talk or known in my life until now…

"It's alright… I think I understand more than I did. Igor. Marie. Thank you" he said with sincerest feelings, he then hear that oh so familiar sound of shattering glass and the rattling of chains.

 _ **Thou art I... And I am thou...**_

 _ **Thou hast established a new bond and acquired a new vow...**_

 _ **It shall become thee wings of rebellion that breaketh the chains of captivity...**_

 _ **And bring thee closer to the truth...**_

 _ **With the blessing of this Fool Persona**_

 _ **Thou shalt be blessed when creating**_

 _ **Personas of the Fool Arcana**_

 _'Huh? How about that._

Igor smiled as he looked at Naruto.

"Well… it seems we would be offering more than just our services it looks like…" he said, Marie nodding with a soft smile.

"Yes master, it seems so." She then looked at him. "We'll look forward to accompanying you on your journey…"

The blonde Fool felt his vision blur again, his dream-self parting from the room. The last thing he could see was both Igor's and Marie's smiles….

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

…..

Feeling the needle rays of sunlight cut into his eyes did Naruto got up.

*Yawn~*

He stretched and looked around to see his room, he looked at his bed to see Kurama.

He chuckled at seeing the child sleeping without a care with some drool falling down their chin.

Shaking his head, Naruto walked into his bathroom. Brushing his teeth and washing his face. He looked himself in the mirror, he frowned seeing that he's growing bangs like his 'father'. A small scowl marred his face before he channeled wind Chakra into a comb he had and then comb his hair.

Hair pooling into the sink as he combed his hair lightly. Now done he looked himself into the mirror seeing that his hair was a bit shorter and he no longer had any look of bangs growing.

"You could've cut a little more to the side," the voice said. Naruto knew he was hearing someone but he couldn't see anyone.

"What the? Where are you?" Naruto was saying, looking around. Seeing no one, he shrugged and continue washing his face till he took a look at the mirror all of a sudden. He saw in the reflection that behind him was someone, and Naruto immediately turned around and saw who was it.

"Inari," Naruto said with wide eyes. There was his Persona, right behind him, crouching down a bit due to the low ceiling.

"Huh? I didn't think you could see me," Inari said in a jokester sounding version of Naruto's voice.

Hello?" Naruto heard the voice of Itachi knocking on the bathroom door.

' _Crap crap crap, how the fucking hell am I gonna explain this to Itachi?_ ' Naruto thought in panic.

"Are you alright in there Naruto-kun?" Itachi called out.

"Y-yeah I'm fine Itachi, nothing wrong, I'm just brushing my teeth," Naruto said uneasily and too quickly.

Itachi having heard the nervousness in his voice then decided to open the door.

"It-Itachi wait," Naruto said but it was too late.

"Hmm. Why?" Itachi asked looking at Naruto.

Naruto was expecting him to freak out and yell or about to assassinate Inari, but for some reason he was just looking at Naruto

"Uhh, I n-no reason," Naruto said.

"I heard you talking to someone. Is something wrong?" Itachi said.

Naruto expected Itachi to at least notice the large fox mask god having nine tails with chains standing next to him, I mean he takes up most of the space in there, but he didn't even seem to notice him.

"Oh it was just a shadow clone," Naruto lied quickly.

"Hmm… alright then. Breakfast is ready, come join once you're ready," Itachi said leaving.

Naruto felt like his heart was gonna stop for a second. He didn't want to explain why there was a strange nine tail fox being right next to him.

When Naruto got downstairs after dressing himself, he sat at the table eating breakfast with Itachi.

Inari was enjoying himself in the room, watching the spectacle that lay before him.

"Uh...Itachi," Naruto said.

"Yes?" Itachi respond, drinking his tea.

"Do you uhh… see anything strange in the room right now?" Naruto asked.

"Define strange?" Itachi asked.

"Like, something out of place, or something that doesn't belong?" Naruto asked, taking a side glance at Inari.

"No, I do not. Why? Do you?" Itachi asked, taking a moment to look at the Uzumaki.

"Hehe don't mind me… I'm enjoying the show" Inari said chuckling into his fist.

"No, not at all. Never mind," Naruto said ignoring Inari.

Itachi looked at him but nod and went back to his morning paper.

*Yawn~*

Both turned to the young Kurama that was walking out from the hallway.

"Aaaaah morning" they said.

"Morning" Naruto responded as Itachi looked at the new resident with a curious stare.

"Naruto…" Itachi asks.

"...Yeah?"

"Who is this?" He asked, gesturing to the child who was currently making toast and a cup of tea.

"Oh! This is….Kurama… not to be confused with the Kurama clan…"

"I see that… Why is he here?"

"Oh….uh…"Naruto was sweating trying to come up with an excuse for Kurama.

He could hear laughter as he side glance to see Inari laughing, at his predicament. He really wanted to sock him in the face right now if it weren't for Itachi's question at the moment.

"I have no memories before meeting Naruto here, he offered me a place to stay since I was kicked out of the orphanage by that bitch of a mistress. He helped me even when I couldn't even remember my family, even beyond my past." Kurama coolly lied to the Uchiha, Naruto looked shocked as Inari was intrigued by the story that they cleverly woven together.

Itachi blinked as he looked from the child to Naruto. "Is this true?" he asked to which Naruto nodded bashfully, looking embarrassed. Itachi stared before sighing, then he gave Naruto a small smile.

"Well I have to say I'm surprised at what you did Naruto-kun, but next time run it by me okay?"

"Yeah! I'll do that next time." He said with a reassuring smile while Kurama sipped his tea with a small smirk.

"Well then now that we have that..." he said as he went to the hallway and then returned with a package.

"This was delivered for you Naruto-kun" he handed the package to the confused trickster. He opened it to see shuriken and kunai.

"A young Genin by the name of Tenten came by to deliver it to you yesterday but you weren't home so I picked it up for you."

(Flashback)

 _Itachi was garbed in his Anbu gear and just locked the door. He turned around to leave but he catch the sight of a young woman wearing a pink Chinese shirt and pants. Her hair was in twin buns and she had a package._

 _Itachi rose an eyebrow at this, so he decide to see what she as doing around this district, maybe it was just a Genin on a D-rank mission again._

 _Tenten walked through the district with Naruto's order, his address is around here but for the life of her she can't find it. She would just seal the order and jumped on the rooftops but she her father used the last of the sealing scrolls and all she had was her own. She wasn't about to use her own scrolls for him, considering the time she took to sealing the many weapons in each one she carries._

" _Hello miss Genin" said Itachi, gaining TenTen's attention as she turned to see Itachi in his Anbu gear, she noticed who it was as she saw the black coal eyes and pale skin, traits of a Uchiha._

" _Ah hello Uchiha-san." She greeted Itachi, Itachi noticed the package in her hands._

" _I noticed the package in your carrying. Do you mind if I ask who it's going to?" he asked her as she was a bit surprise that he ask that, maybe he could help her._

" _Oh, this? It's an order for Naruto. He order a new set of shuriken and Kunai and now I'm here to deliver it to him, but I'm having trouble looking for his address." She said as Itachi started to chuckle a bit. "Um… what's so funny?"_

" _Oh apologies, it's just that I can help you with your problem." He said with a small smile._

" _You can?" she asked._

" _Why yes, I can. In fact, he lives with me. I can just take those off your hands and give them to him for you." He said._

" _Really? Thanks! Uchiha-san." She thanked him, handing him Naruto's package. Itachi smiled as he took the package from her._

" _Make sure to let him know to come by the shop when he needs more of them or to visit!" she said as she disappeared._

 _Itachi looked from where she went off and then back to the package in hand. 'Hmph... I knew telling Naruto about that store was a good idea.' He thought with a smirk._

(Flashback ended)

"Tenten delivered this here?" Naruto looked at the package of the shurikens and kunai he ordered, Itachi nodded.

"It seems like she was lost looking for our address that you handed her, she seemed pleased that you would've gotten it." He smirked, it seemed to be the right choice to bring Naruto to that store if the smile he wears is anything.

He then frowns, remembering that he has to go back to the home manor again today for a meeting. He looked at the clock to see it was only 8:46 in the morning. He has until 9:00 to be there for, he then turned to Naruto.

"Naruto-kun, Kurama-san I have to go meet up with another clan meeting." Naruto stopped looking through his order, then turned over to him

'What? A meeting? Wasn't your clan not gonna bother you again?" Naruto asked the eldest Uchiha, Itachi shook his head.

'No, I'm able to have my own home and my privacy. But I am not exempt from any of the clan's meeting being the son of the clan head." He smiled sadly as he stood up to get ready for the clan meeting. "Sorry Naruto-kun, but I have to attend, we can reschedule our training today for another time."

With that Itachi got up, place his cup and plates into the sink and then left the room to change, leaving Naruto and Kurama alone in the room.

"Well isn't that quite sad." Said Inari as everyone looked at him, he dusted of his sage coat as he looked at where Itachi left the room.

"I hate that someone as him be stuck with such burdened chains around him." Naruto looked at his partner before he thought back to the times that he and Itachi talked about his clan, the Uchiha, and the expectations that they have on him…"

' _Just like me before….'_ He thought before they were all snapped back into reality by the sound of the doorbell. Kurama stared at Naruto, implying to the blonde that he should be the one to answer it. Said blonde rolled his eyes and walked towards the door.

He opened it to reveal a chunin with a face mask and dark brown hair, that he wasn't familiar with. "Hey! Itachi I was in the neighborhoo-"he stopped before he looked at who answered the door and saw Naruto. He blinked before he glared at Naruto who stared back with a blank face.

" _You…_ what the hell are you doing here? Came here to kill Itachi-senpai?!" Naruto just stared at the jounin, Naruto rolled his eyes at _another_ demon hater.

"Hmph rude" Inari commented from behind Naruto.

"Tell me about it. I can already feel the pathetic killing intent from right here" said Jack

Naruto, not wanting to hear the bland rubbish from some chunin, slammed the door in his face. Itachi came back hearing the slam, he was wearing his Anbu gear.

"Who was that Naruto-kun?" he asked as Naruto waved his hand, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it Itachi, just another one of your fangirls." Itachi grimaced and shuddered for a moment. He nodded as he walked to the front door, he put on his shinobi sandals before he opened the door.

'I'll be back soon Naruto-kun. You and Kurama take care, okay?" he asked them, Naruto nodded confidently as Kurama snorted but smirked, Itachi smiled before he left the apartment.

Naruto sighed as he remembered the glare of the shinobi from before but he hated it each time that he received it.

"Yo, kit? You alright?" Kurama asked from where he was sitting, he could see the expression on the blondes face.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, I'm fine! It's ok Kurama, I'm alright." Naruto said with a fake smile on his face.

But Kurama saw through that smile, and wasn't having it, "Ok kit, cut the crap. Just tell me what's really going on."

Getting that stern look from the fox child, Naruto sighed as he realized he can't get out of it "... That person at the door...was another slap of reality from this village... that's all…." He said, Inari frown as did Kurama at his tone, it sounded sad and bitter.

"Care to enlighten us…? I mean it sounded like you had it pretty rough." Kurama said.

"That's putting it mildly, " Naruto said before sighing again as he started to explain, "...Tell me Kurama...Do you remember about the attack that...well, _you_ made on Konoha..13 years ago...?"

Kurama rose an eyebrow at that. Of course he remembered, that's how he knew about the village's hatred and fear towards him. It's safe to say, though, that he's not really fond of that memory at the moment if it had something to do with his friend's misfortune.

"Let's just say I was involved in that somehow...It was hell y'know...All these years growing up...I was alone, and I was suffering. No one would even look at me without being reminded of the past. They all ignored me. No one cared. They treated me like dirt... they would even beat me to a bloody fucking pulp! This…. This fucking life...that I've been cursed with...all I got out of this has been full of nothing but pain and misery. Even my...my sisters... all they ever did was walk all over me…. but I'm not going to let any of them do that anymore. I'm done putting up with all the shit this goddamn village has been throwing at me...I'm not going to let anyone treat me as if I was the dirt on the bottom of their shoes," Naruto responded in a bitter tone. Kurama's eyes had widened while Jack's did even further. How long had Naruto been feeling that way? Months? Years?

Inari only sighed sadly as he know the pain that Naruto had endured at the hands of this village.

"It's been nothing but hell," He said, Kurama listening along with Inari and Jack "I had to deal with walking around all day being treated like a pariah and disgrace while Minato-teme's daughters are treated like royalty! Every day I have to deal with these stupid ass people that want me dead I couldn't even go to the academy! I wasn't even allowed into a normal school! My so called parents treated me like I was invisible while my sisters treat me like I'm their slave and servant." Kurama was taking it all in and although their anger can be seen on the gripping of their chair arm, they however wanted to know the one thing to all this hatred toward their friend. Why? "All because everybody sees me as you...a demon fox," Kurama raised an eyebrow at that, knowing that's not true "all because I had you sealed inside of me."

"...Wait a sec," Kurama said holding a hand up to Naruto stopping him "You said you had me sealed inside of you?" Kurama was confused.

"Well yeah I did.."

"...Kit, that's not possible." Kurama said.

"….What?"

"Partner?" Inari addressed grabbing the confused man's attention "The reason that can't be possible is because you didn't had Kurama sealed inside you. I wouldn't be here if that was the case,"

Jack placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder "You weren't his jailer that much I know. Boss and I remembered seeing his jailer but there was actually two people that we saw; neither of them were you though. Boss would've been able to sense if you were the one that he was sealed in?

"...What are you saying..?"

"Naruto, what we're trying to say is that you weren't my jailer at all." The overwhelming shock within Naruto starts to build, it can be seen on his face. His breath halted and his fists clench.

"...Who the hell told you this..?" Kurama asked, this time in a much more serious tone, as if demanding to know who's the bastard that lied to his friend like that, so that he can rip him a new asshole.

"..."

"..?"

Naruto sat in absolute silence, his face laid emotionless aside from his eyes that widened in dread. His mind is filled with all the memories from the past resurfacing at full throttle. His hands unconsciously clenched painfully to his knees.

Right now, both personas and Kurama are becoming worried for the blond. The lack of motion, much less a response, was of great concern, as it was never like him to shut down like that.

"Naruto...?"

...

...

 _All this time..._

 _My life..._

 _...nothing...but hell..._

 _The glares...the insults..._

 _..All ...all...of...those betrayals..._

 _..Everything that I suffered through..._

 _..._

 _..Lies…_

… _._

 _All of them…_

 _..._

 _LIES_

Suddenly a black and red aura erupted immensely from Naruto, his eyes glowing sickly gold and becoming much, much colder. Kurama and the personas, having already sensed it, are practically suffocating from the intense pressure and killing intent.

Inari recognized this feeling all too well. It was a feeling that he knew his partner tried his damnedest to suppress. It was the feeling of cold hatred, and viscous madness.

That meant two things:

His partner's memories from the forgotten past have resurfaced...

And...

'...'He's' awake...'

 _ **Kill...**_

Inari heard a voice from within Naruto's heart. It was a voice he wished to forget since when he was still his partner's shadow.

 _ **Kill...**_

 _ **Kill him...**_

Naruto began to move, as he slowly rose up from his position.

'Oh no...' Inari turned to Kurama and Jack "You two need to stop him! He's gonna go after the Fourth!"

"!"

Kurama quickly got up from his position and was about move before suddenly...

 _ **KILL!**_

Naruto, at blinding speed, already jumped out the window and landed on the ground hard, making serious crack appear.

The personas and Kurama looked at Naruto, he wasn't moving before he directed his head towards the hokage tower. Already seeing where his thoughts were, Kurama jumped out of the window and in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Whoa whoa there kit. There's no need to go after him" Kurama try to reason with Naruto but the young Fool wasn't listening as he disappeared in a blur.

Kurama acted quickly; with a flick of his wrist, chains flowed out of his arms and wrapped around Naruto, the chains looked to be made of chakra. Kurama struggled with the young Fool, if his feet being dragged forward wasn't any indication.

"Hey! If it ain't any problem, can you help me out here?!" Kurama called out, catching both Jack's and Inari's attention. They moved towards them as Jack tried to help his partner while Inari was talking to Naruto.

"Naruto! Listen to me! Look I know how you're feeling, believe me I know! But this won't do you any good, all it'll do is make you out to be like what the village thinks." He said but Naruto was as sure wasn't listening if the look in his cold eyes say anything.

"I know partner, I know how much anger, hatred and pain your feeling but this is the wrong way on getting any justice or revenge at all." He continued on, seeing his body relaxing and stopped tensing, ever so slightly that not anyone would see but Inari knew he was getting through to him.

"He's right, Naruto." Another voice joined in, both Kurama and the personas turned to see Yakumo with her persona Benzaiten following right behind her with her sitar.

"I don't know what kind of pain and suffering you've gone through...but I truly do believe it was really horrible if it had made you turn out like how you're acting now," Yakumo said as she looked on at the state of her fellow persona-user, truly feeling sad and sorry for his suffering. "But listen to us Naruto, if you go through with this, you won't be any better than most of this village… would you truly want that? To be just like the corrupted villagers?" She questioned him in a soft whispered, Benzaiten nodding before adding her own two cents. "From what it took you to understand Yakumo here, you shouldn't let a lie from a foolish man break your will."

As the struggling stopped slightly, getting less and less forceful from Naruto, Kurama took this as a chance to chop at Naruto's neck. Thus, knocking him out and his body going limp in Kurama's chains, getting stares from everyone.

"What? I'm making sure he won't do anything" Kurama said.

The others simply ignored that statement as they looked to their unconscious friend.

"Naruto...Oh Kami what have they done to you..?" Yakumo whispered to herself, nearly bringing herself to tears.

Before she came to help, Yakumo was just coming out of Anko's apartment as said owner was going to leave to go on her mission. She was on her way to visit Naruto and Kurama before she felt that menacing aura that was going on in miles, reaching her. Having sensed it as well, Benzaiten tells Yakumo to run to them, knowing that something tragic must've happened.

To think that her fellow thief and new friend had something so full of malice and insanity inside him. Yakumo could barely breathe from feeling such intense pressure that weighed upon her and Kurama. It pains her heart to have just learned that Naruto's life was full of misery and torment.

Kurama had similar feelings as well. When he felt all that darkness that erupted from within Naruto, it made him realize that he truly has been through a lot if it made his friend go berserk like that. It also made him feel like he's sort of responsible in helping make Naruto's life a living hell. He thought to himself that...if he hadn't attacked the village back then...then maybe.

" _Don't think like that, Boss!"_ Jack yelled out, making Kurama snap out of his trance _"Remember, from what Inari told us, the Hokage's the one at fault here! If anyone should be responsible for Naruto's hell, it's that bastard!"_

...Jack's right. Minato is the one responsible, and he'll be damned if he's going to let him get away without punishment. Though now's not the time to start plotting the Namikaze's demise. Right now, his friend comes first.

"...You guys.." the four looked at the Fox God. " Please watch over him, I have to excuse myself as I have some 'things' to deal with…" Inari stated. He then looks around, taking notice of the villagers nearby either unconscious or on their knees, tormented by the immense amount of Killing Intent that Naruto was giving off, 'Hmph, for what it's worth, they had it coming..and they should've known that..' he thought to himself before slowly disappearing before the others' eyes.

…

"We better get out of here," Kurama stated, catching the others' attention, "We need to get him to a safer place before they," referring to the villagers nearby "get back on their feet."

Agreeing with the fox child on this, they helped pick up Naruto and started to move.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

...

 _'Ugh…. What hit me?'_ were the general thoughts of our resident blonde Fool.

" **I believe that would be the sensation of you busting out a window and the strength of Kurama's blow to your neck"**

Hearing the familiar tone of his other self had Naruto look up from the table counter that his head was on to see Inari across from himself on the other side of the barkeep.

"Inari?"

Inari looked at Naruto with disappointment, sadness and shame. The emotions that he never saw his other self have before in those eyes, usually they have confidence, power and mischievous.

" **I have to say Naruto I'm both disappointed and if not a bit ashamed."** The persona told the young fool, Naruto was taken back at that statement.

"Wha, why!?" He asked, clearly lost for once with his persona.

" **Well to be honest, it's not at you..rather, really it's at myself."** Now that raised some eyebrows, especially from Naruto. Inari seeing the confusion carried on, he walked from behind the bar and gestured Naruto to follow.

"Yourself? What do you mean by that Inari?" Naruto asked the Fox God. Inari bowed his head a bit as they walked through the bar, passing by Jack who waved.

" **Naruto…. Where do you think all of your anger and pain goes when you suppressed it before?"** the persona asked host and partner, Naruto twisted his face a bit confused at the question but he answered.

"It went into you before right? I mean you are my other self right? You would hold most of my other emotions that I've pushed down." Inari only shook his head.

" **Well before, yeah I did, but even then It wasn't just with me alone Naruto."** The fox told him, this piece of information surprised him.

"What do you mean by that Inari? How wasn't it just you alone?" Naruto asked as they near the end of the bar, they were in the very back of the room.

The closer they reached the more malice Naruto felt coming from the door. The moment that they reached the door Naruto jumped while Inari stood unaffected by the sudden bash from the door.

"W-what was that?!" Naruto asked, feeling the loathsome presence from behind the door, the door looked like one for maximum prison cells with only a slit for the eyes to look through.

" **That…"** Inari pointed to the door as a pair of sinful hate filled eyes appeared through the slit of the door. **" is all the hate that you have acuminated that I couldn't hold throughout the few years"** Inari stated, looking back at the eyes as they stare at him with hate.

Naruto looked at eyes and then at Inari. This was all his hate!? How did it grow so dark? So powerful and dreadful?

"This… is all from me?" he asked a bit scared at the dark presence this… this... _thing_ holds.

Inari nods as he led Naruto away from the door and the roars of 'kill' coming from the door.

' _That… that was unreal. This was building up inside of me and I didn't know at all.'_ Was what Naruto thought as he remembered the hateful eyes that glared from behind the door. He shuddered at what would happened if that door wasn't blocking it from him.

" **You probably go on a killing spree,"** Inari's voice answered as if hearing his thoughts, Naruto looked at Inari. **"Killing all the people that cause you pain, hardships and only made it even harder for you live. You would kill everyone. That's what would happened if that wasn't sealed the way it is…"** Inari said to Naruto.

"I…I would kill everyone..." the words feeling so foreign to him as Inari nodded as they walked back to the bar. **"That would be the result if Yakumo and Benzaiten didn't talk you down before Kurama knocked you out."**

"...I….see…" Naruto couldn't believed what he saw but he had to nod that what could happen is a possibility.

" **Ah! It seems we came to our destination."** Inari said catching Naruto's attention as the Fox God turn to him with a sad smile. **"It seems our time here is up partner. We'll talk later since it looks like Yakumo is trying to wake you up"** he said as Naruto's vision was becoming blurry as he vanished from the bar.

" **... I do hope that you'll be able to face your hatred one of these days….".** Inari said before he too vanished.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"...Ke…"

" ...wa...p…"

"...wake….."

"...wake..up!"

Naruto wakes up gasping for air. He then gets up quickly, which proves to be a bad idea as his head starts hurting. "Oww...rgh...Kurama, did you really have to hit me that hard?"

" Well it's either knocking you out, or risk letting you slaughter everybody that comes your way, the hell do you think?!"

"...Right..."

"Naruto-kun...what was that...?"

"...*sigh*...I don't even know, to be honest...I guess you could say... that it's my hatred getting the best of me.."

"*snort* yeah, 'Getting the best of you'…" Kurama said.

Yakumo gave the fox child a stern glare, indicating that she's not happy with how rude he's being towards Naruto.

"What? Even you have to admit that it wasn't much of an answer to explain what the fuck just happened" he shot back but before yakumo could say anything, Naruto raised his hand to stop her.

"It's okay Yakumo…they're right.." he said getting a shock out of her. " I wasn't in control of myself, and I have to thank them for knocking me knock when they did."

"But you coul-"

"I could've kill someone Yakumo" he said with a steel glint in his eyes, she closed her mouth at what he said. "I could've killed someone had it not been for them knocking me out…. Or you and Benzaiten talking me down either… so to all of you, I have to thank you for stopping me…"

They were all surprised at this response from him, though Inari smiled as he appeared.

Yakumo couldn't help but smile at his that is while Kurama might not show it as he glared at him but he showed a tiny smile too.

"Tch… you're welcome. Just don't expect me to do it all the time for you, got it?!" He said, but Naruto chuckled as did Yakumo.

*GROWL!*

They all looked at Kurama who had a blush on his face.

"Snrk"

"Heh"

Both Yakumo and Naruto couldn't hold it back before they both starting to chuckle and giggle at the sound of Kurama's growling stomach.

"Hey! Stop laughing dammit!" He yells as his face starts having an atomic shade of red. He even turned to the persona who were laughing to his dismay, hell even Jack was laughing.

"Sorry Boss ha ha but this is too funny to pass up... hahahaha" Jack laughed.

Kurama grumbled as Naruto said he knew a place that they could eat for lunch.

They followed him as Yakumo giggled while Kurama grumbled in embarrassment.

[Some time later, 'Ramen Ichiraku' ]

 _'...Where the hell does all of that go..?'_ Kurama thinks to himself as they stares at Naruto, bewildered at how he was able to stomach down all that ramen, _' for Kami's sake he's already on fifth-.'_

"Aaahh...gotta hand it to ya old man, you know how to make the best ramen. Let me have another!"

"Coming right up!"

 _ **[Sixth.]**_ Kurama heard Jack say.

"Well I'm glad to see you're feeling better, Naruto..." Yakumo spoke, smiling at the blonde.

"I should say the same to you, Yakumo."

"Hm?"

"You've been exhausted since the other day at the palace, but I guess that tends to happen after awakening your power right?"

"..R-right.."

"Something wrong..?"

"Oh, n-no...to be honest, I'm still coming into terms with this whole Metaverse stuff...palaces, shadows..everything really. They're all still too fresh on my mind, and I couldn't stop thinking about it since then..."

"I get ya...it was the same for me too really.."

"Hai...Though now, thanks to Benzaiten, I'm starting to understand these things better."

 _ **[Anything for my mistress.]**_

"That's good to hear," Naruto said, "Though you might wanna continue on after you eat, any minute longer and those noodles will get too soft.."

"Ah, r-right, sorry!"

Kurama and Jack laughing at her embarrassed response.

Inari simply chuckled while Benzaiten only shook her head at the fox and Ripper.

Naruto looker at Inari and the other personas.

 _ **["Hmmm? What is wrong partner?"]**_

"Well it's-... OK We need to talk. First off, why can't anyone see any of you? It's been bugging me," Naruto questioned. To be honest it kinda felt weird to him, talking to a being that said was himself…. Does that make him insane?

"Actually I've been wondering that as well," said Yakumo, who stopped eating her ramen while Kurama was slurping up the broth of his.

"Yeah." Kurama said.

 _ **["..hmm… well think of it like this. You three have abilities that other do not have."]**_ Inari said, Benzaiten nodded.

 _ **["They do not process the same abilities as you three, thus they are not able to see us,"]**_ Benzaiten said.

 **[Well, put it this way. Since you three share the ability to use personas, that means no one else but else can see us but you guys. Even if they use their dojutsu, they still can't really see us…]** Inari explained.

"Huh?... Okay I guess that makes sense" Kurama said, understanding it a bit.

 _ **["Boss you don't get it do you"]**_ Jack deadpan at Kurama, who blushed as the others had a good laugh.

Nearly half an hour in, with Kurama on their third bowl, Naruto almost finishing his eighth and Yakumo halfway through her second, the genjutsu prodigy stops her eating as she dwells deep into her thoughts. Naruto turned to her, noticing her silence.

"Something on your mind...?"

"...*sigh*, I'm still..just, so astonished of how my life changed so drastically in just a couple of days...Everything went by so quickly, it was almost difficult to remember what has happened..."

Naruto kept quiet as he continues to listen

"...Before you found me, Naruto-kun, my life's been nothing but imprisoning. I was born with this weak and fragile body, I couldn't even perform a single chakra exercise without suffering from extreme exhaustion or strain." She said, sadness showing in her eyes.

"No matter how hard that I try it would only be the same. It was worse once Kurenai decided that it was too much for me." She said flashing back to the memory. " She told me that I should just think of forget becoming a Shinobi altogether since I don't have the skill or life for it….. I'd look up to her since she wanted to help me unlike the others that just looked at me with disdain."

"My family didn't even want to do anything with me since my parents died in a fire that burned down my family's home, I didn't know it at the time that it was my painting that caused the fire but my clan seemed to know and wanted me gone." She looked into her nearly empty bowl, as Naruto stared at her. He felt her pain for he knew how painful it felt to be seen nothing but a mistake…

"Even if they couldn't do anything as my grandfather took me in, I was still stuck in there, it was like a cage that I wasn't able to escape. " Tears threatening to spill.

"..I'm...honestly scared...I..I don't want to go back to that life Naruto...I don't know how much more I can take..."

"...Fine, then I won't let them."

"Huh?!"

"If you say you don't wanna go back to that kind of 'cage', then we" referring to Kurama and himself "will help and make sure that it'll never come to it."

"I'm gonna agree with the kit on this one...I know what it's like to be in a cage all your life, but I'll be damned if I let that sort of shit happen to anybody else."

"That's right...No one should have to suffer for anything just because someone else told them so... For a clan, any clan for that matter...to even consider forcing those kinds of laws and customs on one of their own...not only are they just another bunch of cowardly criminals...but they're also hypocrites."

"..Naruto.."

" Look, I don't give a damn if those kinds of things are what make a clan strong, not even the Hyuuga clan has my respect for the kind of shit they pulled on their branch members. If they can't survive and stay strong as a whole without relying on their so-called 'tools', then they're no clan at all: the Uchiha, the Inuzuka, the Yamanaka...especially not even the Namikaze," His hands unconsciously clenched as he mentions them, "deserve my respect without resorting to sacrificing one of their own..."

"Listen to me, Yakumo...you have your own life now...That means you have a choice, a choice that you yourself can make, and nobody else. No one's going to stop you from carving your own path...and I'll tell you this, no matter what kind of choice you make...from here on out, we'll be there to support you!"

"...Wow kit...Can you try saying all of that without making it sound so cheesy...?"

"Hey fuck you! I resent that!"

As the whiskered duo started arguing with one another, Benzaiten decided to chime in

 _ **[You finally understood, Yakumo..?]**_

 _'...Yeah...I get it now...so...' as Yakumo watched the scene play out, she couldn't help but feel her eyes watering up a bit as a foreign feeling started to swell up in her chest, 'This is..this is what it feels like...to have friends like this..'_ She then smiles, quivering a bit in her lips as she's trying to hold herself back from crying. Though it's a bit too late as Naruto turned back around just to notice the tears trailing down on her face.

"Ehhh?! Wait, What?! Yakumo why are you crying?! Was it something I said?! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you feel bad!"

"Oh nice one jackass, you made the poor girl cry!"

"Why you little-!"

A moment of surprise took over Yakumo for a moment, before she started to giggle a bit..before going to a full-blown laughter, regaining her friends' attention while wiping off her own tears.

"Uhhh...Are you okay..?"

" *Giggle*, Yeah I am, don't worry." Seconds after saying this, Yakumo gets right back to finishing up her bowl.

Feeling full and refreshed, Yakumo has a big smile on her face as her eyes, from what Naruto started to notice, held some fire in them. "I made my mind..." She turns back to the whiskered duo. "I'm not gonna run away anymore. I'll do my best to help you guys, no matter what it takes!"

While surprised by the new determination from the genjutsu prodigy, Naruto and Kurama agreed all the same and nodded their heads.

"Naruto," Catching the blonde's attention once more, Yakumo catches him off guard as she grasped his hand.

"Eh?"

"This'll be the promise of a lifetime...I will never leave you alone...No matter what happens what hardships we face, none of them will ever force me to leave your side."

Granted, that she meant something totally different, Naruto couldn't help but take that out of context and was blushing up a storm. "Ehhh?!"

"No matter what, I'll always be by your side to help...that's a promise!"

"!"

Everyone looked at her with astonished expressions on their faces.

Naruto stared with wide eyes at her proclamation, while Kurama had his mouth gaping at the absurdity of what she just said.

"Well damn" Inari said both surprised and a bit amused behind Naruto while Jack's jaw was left hanging.

 _ **Thou art I... And I am thou...**_

 _ **Thou hast established a new bond and acquired a new vow...**_

 _ **It shall become thee wings of rebellion that breaketh the chains of captivity...**_

 _ **And bring thee closer to the truth...**_

 _ **With the blessing of this Fortune Persona**_

 _ **Thou shalt be blessed when creating**_

 _ **Personas of the Fortune Arcana**_

Naruto wasn't even paying attention to gaining another social link and vow from Yakumo in favour of trying to comprehend what she had just said.

"Y-Yakumo.." Naruto said with a red face.

"Hm?" She turned to him with her now happy demeanor.

"...Not that I'm not happy to hear you say all of that, but..-" he tried to explain to her but he was sadly interrupted.

"Oh my!" The three phantoms turned to see Ayame with her hands covering her mouth as she has stars in her eyes along with a bit of redness on her cheeks.

 _'Crap!'_

 _ **[Today doesn't seemed to be your day huh partner?]**_

….

 _ **(Opening 1 -**_ _ **失踪**_ _ **FLAME by My First Story)**_

 _ **[Chorus plays]**_

Looking past everything that goes past by him, he walks past the Namikaze family, he walks past the clan manors, and he walks past the Hokage towers. A trail of flames left by each step that he takes, before changing into the title.

 _ **(~the stars will cry, Becoming the darkness, I can't see your eyes~)**_ Walking through the dark village passing black silhouettes of people was Naruto, he turned his head to see stars far above in the night sky.

 _ **(~In the night I'm all alone, and silently I decide to quit to live~)**_ Watching the sunset from the Hokage mountain, was Naruto coloured burnt orange looking down over it with a white vulpine mask over his face.

 _ **「**_ _ **why don't you want to find a "Reason"?**_ _ **」**_

 _ **(I don't understand it now)**_ It starts to rain, washing away to the street of the red light district, a red silhouette of a child with a demon like mask on his face; he's hiding under stairs to an apartment, staring into the rain.

 _ **「**_ _ **Even though you can take it away?**_ _ **」**_

 _ **(And the time has gone…)**_ The rain pours into a scene of a forest, a lavender silhouette of a young girl with a golden crown mask on her face. She was walking through the forest until coming to a stop in front of a tower in the forest.

 _ **(~Eien. Shūen. Nante mō shōmei nanka nakunatte~)**_ The screen flashed through several places like Konohagakure, Nami no Kuni, The Forest of Death, it stopped before a blue velvet door as it opened to show Igor grinning widely as he was sitting down before a desk with Marie at his side with a small smile.

 _ **(~Boku datte, ima datte, mata keshi satte i ta~)**_ It shows back to Naruto in the Namikaze manor as he watches it all crumble away, showing a twisted manor with tons of shadows marching through it towards Naruto.

 _ **(~ When I'm done, I'll never fall into the ground, It's coming back to me now Nando mo zutto uso kasanatte~)**_ Flames licking Naruto's body as he bursts into flames, the flames erupted around the entire area until it reveals Trickster.

 _ **(~When I'm gone, You'll never take a look around, I'm stuck inside of me, now korekara mo-~)**_

Dodging spells from various demons before he leaps and summons Inari, who blasts them with Eiha. Passing Trickster was another as a red silhouette with a demonic black and red mask laughing as they lashed out with their claws before jumping onto the back of a menacing figure.

 _ **(~When I'm done, I'll never fall into the ground, It's coming back to me now, nan do mo zutto uso kasanatte~)**_

It skipped to Trickster now escaping Anko and other leaf jounin, laughing as he avoids their attacks and hail of shurikens. Another silhouette, a lavender one leaps in to block the attacks as they painted a wall to protect them.

 _ **(~When I'm gone, You'll never take a look around, I'm stuck inside of me now, korekara mo tomerare nai boku o matte iru no~)**_

As Trickster leaps and parkours between both Mementos and the real world, he then finds himself before his normal self, Naruto holding out a hand to him. Trickster smirks and grasps his hand, as the light behind Naruto and the darkness behind Trickster both collide to show both Mementos and Konoha.

* * *

 **well... He's in trouble... I think?**

 **So do you like the new chapter!? Once again I'm sorry that it took so long but I'll try to make the next update faster, I do have a life to live that does tend to interfere. example one is that the charger for my laptop died on me and then my computer before that caused me to work over it again.**

 **I'm thankful for KuroKami Kryuu for helping me out. if you have any questions please leave them in the reviews or you can PM for any crucial questions you have.**

 **Links/Ranks**

 **Naruto Uzumaki**

 **Fool- Naruto's crew and Velvet room Residents Lvl/Rank,1 _New!_**

 **Magician - Kurama-Lvl/Rank.1 _New!_**

 **Priestess - ?**

 **Empress – ?**

 **Emperor - Itachi Uchiha-Lvl/Rank.1**

 **Hierophant - ?**

 **Lover - ? ?**

 **Chariot - Taiga kizu-Lvl/Rank.1 N _ew_!**

 **Justice - ?**

 **Hermit - ?**

 **Fortune - Yakumo Kurama- Lvl/Rank.1 _New!_**

 **Strength - ?**

 **Hangman - ?**

 **Death - ?**

 **Temperance - ?**

 **Devil - ?**

 **Tower - ?**

 **Star - ?**

 **Moon - ?**

 **and I'm not done yet, we have some bios to do as well, just to let others know I'm basing this off Swordslingers Little Hero Persona.**

 **Bios:**

 **Igor and Marie _New!_**

 **Arcana: The Fool – New beginnings, purity and open-hearted energy of a child.**

 **Description: Residents of the velvet room that wish to help Naruto as he travels deeper into sin and mementos.**

 **Kurama _New!_**

 **Arcana: Magician – Using one's power to make a difference in their life and in the greater world if one makes a point to try.**

 **Description: The soul of the great Kyuubi No Yoko, having gained a body from the seal that had contain it but lost his memories and hopes to gain them back.**

 **Persona: Jack The Ripper, A killer that will cut down any threats that gets in way of his user.**

 **Yakumo Kurama New!**

 **Arcana: Fortune - Seizing one's own destiny in spite of fate, having the freedom to make life-changing decisions no matter the hardships.**

 **Description - The prodigious genjutsu heiress, unbound by the clutches of the clan that has forsaken her, now helping in carving one's own path in seeking freedom.**

 **Persona: Benzaiten, the Goddess of everything that 'Flows'; with the use of her powers, she helps with her user in assisting her comrades in conquering the world of its deception.**

 **Taiga Kizu New!**

 **Arcana: Chariot - Driven by Conquest, One must have the Power and Might to rise in Resistance, determined to carve their way to Victory by any means.**

 **Description - A retired medic, driven by his resentment towards his old land, helps to keep the closest ones safe from being swallowed by darkness**

 **that's all for now, please read, favorite and follow. leave some reviews.**

 **speedy24 signing off.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone, I hate to say this but this story is being discontinued... kidding! Looking it over, I've been thinking of rewriting the whole thing over since I see sooooo many plot holes that I left. I hope you stay so for the rewrite. Once again I'm sorry for those that was hoping that this was a new chapter. I'm not abandoning this concept, Not yet! so Please wait a little longer**


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